Tuesday 14 January 2014

Glacial mass balance


 

If the total amount of inputs (e.g snow/precipitation, an avalanche, weathered material) is greater than the total amount of outputs (e.g moraine/scree, meltwater, calving/icebergs)

then I>O then the glacier grows (there is a higher rate of accumulation)

if I=O then there is no change (accumulation=ablation/ at equilibrium)

if I<O then the glacier shrinks (there is a higher rate of ablation)

This is an example of a mass balance graph:
Taken form revision world

In this example the glacier is in equilibrium

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