Week 3 - Glaciers - Valero

A glacier is a very slowly moving river of ice, in which the snow in the glacier accumulation area accumulates quicker than it runs off. Each year, more snow is added into the glacier, which accumulates and compresses the residual snow from previous years. The compaction forms ice over time.

The ice in glaciers bends and flows slowly towards downslope melting areas, much like a river. Also like a river, glaciers contribute to the geological erosion process by moving rocks and sediment downstream. Glaciers form in areas where there is heavy snowfall and low runoff, and such areas exist in our own state!

Tyndall Glacier is a small circular glacier in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It's located just East of the continental divide near Hallett peak, about 2 hours from Denver.

A terrific geological feature of Tyndall Glacier is that it is composed mostly of rock near it's base, and is composed more and more of ice near the top of the glacier. This is a clear demonstration of the river-like erosive properties of glaciers.