Glaciers are really important for our water cycle. Here’s how they help:
Storing Freshwater: Glaciers hold about 69% of the world’s freshwater. Most of this is in huge ice sheets and in mountain glaciers.
Seasonal Meltwater: When glaciers melt, they release water. This water flows into rivers. For example, glaciers in the Himalayas provide water to about 1.5 billion people!
Impact on Sea Levels: When glaciers melt, it also adds to rising sea levels. Right now, it’s estimated that sea levels are going up about 3.3 mm each year, mostly because of ice melting in Greenland and Antarctica.
Helping Regulate Climate: Glaciers reflect sunlight, which helps keep areas cool. When glaciers shrink, they absorb more sunlight, leading to even warmer temperatures around them.
Moving Sediments: Glaciers carry and drop off sediments, which changes the shape of the land and affects the geology in those areas. It’s estimated that glaciers can move about 1.5 billion tons of sediment every year.
Glaciers are really important for our water cycle. Here’s how they help:
Storing Freshwater: Glaciers hold about 69% of the world’s freshwater. Most of this is in huge ice sheets and in mountain glaciers.
Seasonal Meltwater: When glaciers melt, they release water. This water flows into rivers. For example, glaciers in the Himalayas provide water to about 1.5 billion people!
Impact on Sea Levels: When glaciers melt, it also adds to rising sea levels. Right now, it’s estimated that sea levels are going up about 3.3 mm each year, mostly because of ice melting in Greenland and Antarctica.
Helping Regulate Climate: Glaciers reflect sunlight, which helps keep areas cool. When glaciers shrink, they absorb more sunlight, leading to even warmer temperatures around them.
Moving Sediments: Glaciers carry and drop off sediments, which changes the shape of the land and affects the geology in those areas. It’s estimated that glaciers can move about 1.5 billion tons of sediment every year.