- 1. This quiz focuses on the Hann Glacier, a significant glacial feature located within Johan Petersens Fjord in South East Greenland. Understanding glacial dynamics and their environmental impact is crucial. What is the primary process by which glaciers lose mass?
A) Sublimation only
B) Deposition of sediment
C) Erosion of bedrock
D) Melting and calving
- 2. Glacial calving occurs when large pieces of ice break off from the glacier front. This process is a major contributor to sea level rise. What is the term for the detached icebergs that float into the sea?
A) Nunataks
B) Terminal moraines
C) Calved icebergs
D) Crevasses
- 3. The Hann Glacier is part of the Greenland Ice Sheet, a vast body of ice covering much of the island. The Greenland Ice Sheet is a critical component of Earth's climate system. What is the approximate percentage of global sea ice contained within the Greenland Ice Sheet?
A) Less than 1%
B) Around 25%
C) Around 8-10%
D) Over 50%
- 4. Glacial meltwater plays a significant role in shaping the landscape around glaciers. These meltwater streams can carry large amounts of sediment. What is the fine-grained sediment deposited by glacial meltwater called?
A) Till
B) Outwash
C) Moraine
D) Glacial flour
- 5. Johan Petersens Fjord is a marine environment where glacial activity has a direct impact. The interaction between glaciers and the ocean is complex. What is the term for the process of a glacier flowing into the sea?
A) Cirque glacier
B) Piedmont glacier
C) Valley glacier
D) Marine-terminating glacier
- 6. Climate change is a major driver of glacial retreat worldwide, including at Hann Glacier. Understanding the historical changes in glacial extent is important for monitoring. What is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to current global warming?
A) Methane (CH4) - although significant, CO2 is primary
B) Nitrogen (N2)
C) Oxygen (O2)
D) Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- 7. The study of glaciers is known as glaciology. Glaciologists use various techniques to measure glacial change. What is a common method for measuring the speed at which a glacier moves?
A) Estimating based on surrounding topography
B) Analyzing the color of the ice
C) Measuring the depth of crevasses
D) Installing stakes and tracking their movement
- 8. The landscape features created by glacial erosion and deposition are distinctive. Johan Petersens Fjord itself is a product of glacial processes. What landform is created when a glacier carves out a U-shaped valley?
A) Kame
B) Fjord
C) Moraine
D) Esker
- 9. Icebergs can pose a hazard to shipping. The large size of icebergs originating from glaciers like Hann is a notable characteristic. What percentage of an iceberg's mass is typically submerged below the water surface?
A) Approximately 90%
B) Approximately 75%
C) Approximately 50%
D) Approximately 25%
- 10. Sediment transported by glaciers can be deposited in various ways. The accumulation of this material forms distinctive landforms. What is the ridge of unsorted glacial debris deposited at the edge of a glacier called?
A) Kettle lake
B) Outwash plain
C) Drumlin
D) Moraine
- 11. The rate of glacial melt is influenced by many factors. Coastal glaciers, like Hann, are particularly sensitive to oceanic warming. What is the term for the process of a glacier melting from the bottom up due to warmer ocean waters?
A) Surface ablation
B) Basal melt
C) Sublimation
D) Crevasse formation
- 12. The Greenland Ice Sheet has been observed to be losing mass at an accelerating rate. This has implications for global sea levels. What is a common unit used to express the volume of ice loss from a glacier or ice sheet?
A) Meters (m)
B) Cubic kilometers (km³)
C) Kilograms (kg)
D) Gigatonnes (Gt)
- 13. The color of glacial ice can provide clues about its age and density. Pure, compacted glacial ice often appears to be a specific color. What color is pure, ancient glacial ice often observed to be?
A) White
B) Yellow
C) Blue
D) Green
- 14. Glaciers act as important archives of past climate conditions. Trapped air bubbles in glacial ice contain samples of ancient atmospheres. What can scientists analyze from these air bubbles?
A) Past tectonic activity
B) Past magnetic field strength
C) Past ocean currents
D) Past atmospheric composition
- 15. The dynamics of glacial termini, where glaciers meet the sea, are crucial for understanding mass balance. What is the term for the area where a glacier meets the ocean and icebergs break off?
A) Glacier front
B) Terminal moraine
C) Medial moraine
D) Lateral moraine
- 16. Glacial meltwater can create unique landscapes as it flows across the land. What are elongated, winding ridges of sand and gravel deposited by meltwater streams flowing within or beneath a glacier called?
A) Drumlins
B) Eskers
C) Cirques
D) Kames
- 17. The elevation at which snow accumulates and compacts into ice is known as the snowline. This line can vary significantly. What is the term for the snowline that is influenced by glacial activity?
A) Equilibrium line
B) Timberline
C) Ablation zone
D) Tree line
- 18. The force of a glacier moving over bedrock can sculpt the landscape significantly. What are the scraped or grooved marks left on bedrock by rocks embedded in the base of a glacier called?
A) Moraines
B) U-shaped valleys
C) Fjords
D) Glacial striations
- 19. The stability of glaciers in Greenland is of global concern due to their potential contribution to sea level rise. What is the primary consequence of significant glacial melt on global sea levels?
A) Sea level fall
B) Increased ocean salinity
C) Decreased ocean salinity
D) Sea level rise
- 20. The study of historical glacial extent is often done through analyzing geological evidence. What are deposits of unsorted rock and sediment left directly by a glacier called?
A) Lacustrine deposits
B) Till
C) Loess
D) Alluvium
- 21. The flow of glaciers is a complex physical process. What is the term for the slow, continuous movement of ice within a glacier?
A) Creeping
B) Calving
C) Ice flow
D) Glacial advance
- 22. The area of a glacier where melting exceeds accumulation is known as the ablation zone. This is where glaciers lose mass. What is the primary process occurring in the ablation zone?
A) Firn formation
B) Snow accumulation
C) Melting and evaporation
D) Compaction of snow
- 23. Icebergs originating from glaciers can be extremely large and dangerous. What is the term for the largest type of icebergs, typically originating from ice shelves or large glaciers?
A) Growlers
B) Bergy bits
C) Pancake ice
D) Floebergs
- 24. The presence of fjords like Johan Petersens Fjord is a direct result of past glacial activity. What geological process creates fjords?
A) Tectonic uplift
B) Volcanic activity
C) River erosion
D) Glacial erosion
- 25. Understanding the rate of glacial retreat is vital for predicting future environmental changes. What is the primary observable change indicating a retreating glacier?
A) The glacier's terminus moving backward
B) The glacier expanding its lateral extent
C) The glacier increasing in thickness
D) More snow accumulating on the surface
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