Ten questions to help you test your knowledge about the Glacier motion

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1. Which one of the following terms involves the way that temperature controls ice hardness?
The term 'A' in Glen's flow law
The basal shear stress
The term 'h' in the shear stress equation
The term 'alpha' in the shear stress equation
The exponent 'n' in Glen's flow law
 

2. Which one of the following researchers is particulary famous for his/her work on subglacial deformation at Breidamerkurjokul?
Tavi Murray
Geoff Boulton
Martin Sharp
Gary Clarke
Barclay Kamb
 

3. Which one of the following following researchers is particulary famous for his/her work on surging of soft-bedded glaciers?
Martin Sharp at Variegated Glacier
Geoff Boulton in Iceland
Gary Clarke at Trapridge Glacier
Richard Alley in Greenland
John Glen in the European Alps
 

4. Which one of the following types of glacier bed would you predict to have the lowest yield stress?
Temperate, rigid bed.
Cold, rigid bed.
Cold, soft bed.
Temperate, soft bed.
Polythermal, rigid bed.

5. What would you associate with low basal shear stress?
High creep rate.
Steep ice gradient.
Low temperature.
Thick ice.
Low gradient ice profile.
 

6. Which of the following list contains ONLY types of glacier motion?
Regelation, enhanced basal creep, stick-slip, substrate deformation, creep.
Enhanced basal creep, substrate deformation, entrainment.
Accumulation, regelation, sliding, internal deformation.
Stick-slip, regelation, rolling, glide, substrate deformation.
Sliding, equilibrium, enhanced basal creep, stick-slip, substrate deformation, creep.
 

7. Which one of the following is NOT known to affect the hardness or viscosity of ice?
Temperature
Stable isotope composition
Dissolved impurities
Particulate impurities
Crystal fabric
 

8. Which of the following would you expect to be the slowest?
An active ice stream
A surging glacier in its surge phase
A typical temperate mountain valley glacier
Jakobshavn Isbrae
A snail
 

9. Which one of the following statements is true?
Fast moving glaciers are always advancing
Slow moving glaciers are rarely advancing
There is a correlation between glacier velocity and glacier advance and retreat
There is no correlation between glacier velocity and glacier advance and retreat
Advancing glaciers move more slowly than retreating ones
 

10. Why do some glaciers move faster than others?
Because they move by different combinations of mechanisms.
Because they have different basal thermal and pressure regimes
Because they rest on different types of substrate (rigid, deforming, etc)
Because the have different basal hydraulic environments
All of the above can be true
 

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