In many areas, spring brings a welcome thaw after winter’s long chill. But some places stay cold all year long. These include Antarctica, Greenland, and the peaks of high mountains.
In those always cold lands, glaciers are born. Glaciers are slow-moving masses of ice. They exist where more snow falls in winter than melts in summer.
These giant forces of nature are important in many ways. Some call them “rivers of ice.” And it’s true—they could be a huge water source. They also contain a record of Earth’s climate. Wherever they are, they reshape the land under them. Scientists visit to study them, while tourists, mountaineers, and others come to see glaciers’ icy beauty.
Yet, glaciers are in trouble. Global warming is shrinking them. In some places, glaciers are even disappearing. This can be a disaster for the animals that live on or near glaciers—and also for human beings.
Let’s go to some of Earth’s most striking—and endangered—places.
