In many parts of the world, spring brings with it a welcome thaw after the bitter cold of winter. However, it’s different in places such as Antarctica, Greenland, and high mountain peaks. In such areas, temperatures remain frigid all year long.
It is in those constantly cold lands that glaciers are born. Glaciers are slow-moving masses of ice that exist where more snow falls in winter than melts in summer.
Often called “rivers of ice,” these spectacular forces of nature are important to our lives in many ways. They are an enormous potential water source, a record of Earth’s climate, and powerful sculptors of the landscape. Scientists come to study them. Tourists, mountaineers, and others are drawn to their icy beauty.
Yet, glaciers face some very big problems. Global warming is causing them to shrink and even disappear in some places. The results can be catastrophic not only for the animals that live on or near glaciers but also for human beings.
Let’s visit and explore some of the most striking—and endangered—places on Earth.
