Activity

1. Explain how glaciers can be thought of as natural systems.

2. Using Figure 10 in Appendix C (see document in downloads) correctly add the following labels from Table 1.

Cirque basin	Accumulation zone	Terminal moraines	Kame
Equilibrium line	Medial moraine	Ablation zone	Crevasses
Snow	Firn	Glacial ice	Esker
Arete	Plucking	Abrasion	Ground moraine
Bedrock	Lateral moraine	Drumlins	Glacier

Table 1

3. Study the diagrams in Appendix D. Figure 11 shows a low slope glacier and Figure 12 a steep slope – both ‘standard glaciers’ – with the same ELAs. With a 1°C increase in warming which glacier sees a higher rise in ELA?

4. Using the highlighted cells in Table 2, create a column graph to chart the fluctuation of French glaciers between 2012 and 2022.

5. Which glacier saw the highest level of ELA in this time period?

6. What is peak water?