outlet glacier

views updated Jun 08 2018

outlet glacier A tongue of ice that extends radially from an ice dome. It may be identified within the dome as a rapidly moving ribbon of ice (an ‘ice stream’), while beyond the dome it typically occupies a shallow, irregular depression. The 700 km long Lambert Glacier, Antarctica, is one of the world's largest outlet glaciers.

outlet glacier

views updated May 08 2018

outlet glacier A tongue of ice that extends radially from an ice dome. It may be identified within the dome as a rapidly moving ribbon of ice (an ‘ice stream’), while beyond the dome it typically occupies a shallow, irregular depression. The 700 km long Lambert Glacier, Antarctica, is one of the world's largest outlet glaciers.