Glacier Dynamics Lab

Glacier Simulation – Ice Flow and Climate Change

Glaciers are dynamic rivers of ice that advance and retreat over decades and centuries in response to climate. This simulation models the balance between snow accumulation in the upper snowfield and ablation at lower elevations, driving ice downslope under gravity. Explore how changing temperature and precipitation affect glacier mass balance, terminus position, and the erosional landforms glaciers carve.

What you can do in this simulation

• Adjust mean annual temperature and snowfall to watch the glacier grow, stabilize, or retreat over time
• Observe internal ice deformation and basal sliding as driving mechanisms of downslope ice flow
• Track the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) and see how shifts in the ELA control glacier volume
• Identify glacial landforms—cirques, moraines, U-shaped valleys—as the simulated ice erodes bedrock
• Compare valley glacier behavior with that of a simulated ice sheet under the same climate forcing

Concepts covered

mass balance · ablation and accumulation · equilibrium line altitude · glacial erosion · ice flow · climate forcing

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