ice sheet: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	continental glacier

Photos

Map of Greenland showing major geographic features, towns, and surrounding seas. The island is dominated by the Greenland Ice Sheet, with coastal settlements such as Nuuk, Upernavik, and Kangerlussuaq marked. Neighboring bodies of water include Baffin Bay, the Labrador Sea, Greenland Sea, and Denmark Strait. An inset globe highlights Greenland's location in the northern Atlantic.

Map of Antarctica showing major geographic regions such as West Antarctica, East Antarctica, Queen Maud Land, Wilkes Land, Victoria Land, Marie Byrd Land, and Ellsworth Land. The map also marks prominent research stations operated by various countries around the continent's coast and interior, as well as nearby seas including the Weddell Sea, Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea, and Bellingshausen Sea. Surrounding oceans-the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific-are labeled.

Map showing the extent of the Laurentide, Cordilleran, and Greenland ice sheets during the Wisconsin glaciation, roughly 100,000 to 11,000 years ago. The Laurentide Ice Sheet covers most of present-day Canada and parts of the northern United States in light blue, the Cordilleran Ice Sheet covers the Pacific Northwest in teal, and the Greenland Ice Sheet is marked in purple. Modern international and state or provincial boundaries are outlined for reference.

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Topics

ice stream Antarctic Ice Sheet Cordilleran Ice Sheet outlet glacier nunatak ice ice cap subglacial lake ice age ice shelf What’s the Difference Between a Glacier and an Ice Floe?moulin crevasse firn

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