Glacial Activity

Glacial activity refers to the processes and effects of glaciers, which are large masses of ice that move slowly over land. Glaciers form in areas where more snow falls than melts each year, causing the snow to accumulate and compress into ice over time.

Formation of Glaciers

Glaciers form when snow accumulates and is compressed into ice over many years. The weight of the overlying snow compacts the snow underneath, causing it to recrystallize into dense glacial ice. This process continues over time, forming large masses of ice.

Movement of Glaciers

Glaciers move due to the force of gravity and the gradual downhill flow of the ice. This movement can cause significant changes to the landscape, including erosion, transportation of sediments, and the formation of landforms such as moraines and drumlins.

Effects of Glacial Activity

Glacial activity has a number of effects on the environment, including shaping the landscape, carving out valleys, and leaving behind unique landforms. Glaciers also play a role in the global water cycle, as they store and release freshwater over time.

Study Guide

What is glacial activity?
How do glaciers form?
What causes glaciers to move?
What are some effects of glacial activity on the landscape?
How do glaciers contribute to the global water cycle?

◂Science Worksheets and Study Guides Sixth Grade. Plate Tectonics

Vocabulary/Answer key

Plate Tectonics

Vocabulary/Answer key

Plate Tectonics

Vocabulary/Answer key

Plate Tectonics

Vocabulary/Answer key

Plate Tectonics

The resources above cover the following skills:

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE

Earth’s Systems

Use evidence to explain how different geologic processes shape Earth’s history over widely varying scales of space and time (e.g., chemical and physical erosion; tectonic plate processes; volcanic eruptions; meteor impacts; regional geographical features, including Alabama fault lines, Rickwood Caverns, and Wetumpka Impact Crater).

Provide evidence from data of the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to explain past plate motions.

Use models to explain how the flow of Earth’s internal energy drives a cycling of matter between Earth’s surface and deep interior causing plate movements (e.g., mid-ocean ridges, ocean trenches, volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, rift valleys, volcanic islands).