🧊 How do glaciers form?

Glaciers are like giant ice rivers! 🌍❄️ They form when lots and lots of snow falls in one place and doesn’t melt. Over time, the snow gets squished together and turns into thick ice. This ice slowly moves, just like a very slow river!

Imagine building a snowman every winter, but the snow never melts—soon, you’d have a big pile of ice! That’s how glaciers start.

Glaciers form when snow piles up year after year without melting completely. ❄️ Over time, the weight of new snow compresses the old snow into dense ice. This ice becomes so heavy that it starts to flow like a very slow river, carving out valleys as it moves!

Here’s how it works:

• Snow falls and stays in cold places (like mountains or polar regions).
• Layers of snow press down and turn into ice.
• The ice becomes thick enough to move under its own weight.

Glaciers are massive, slow-moving rivers of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow over hundreds or thousands of years. ❄️ Here’s the detailed process:

1. Snow Accumulation: In cold regions (like polar areas or high mountains), more snow falls than melts each year.
2. Firn Formation: Over time, the snow compresses under its own weight, turning into a grainy ice called firn.
3. Glacial Ice: As more layers build up, the firn is further compressed into dense glacial ice.
4. Movement: When the ice is thick enough (usually over 50 meters), it begins to flow due to gravity, forming a glacier.

Glaciers shape landscapes by eroding rock and carrying debris, creating features like U-shaped valleys.