Glacial stream

Image shows the different stream types that are found on a glacier. The different streams are supraglacial, subglacial, englacial and proglacial.

A glacier stream is a channelized area that is formed by a glacier in which liquid water accumulates and flows.[1] Glacial streams are also commonly referred to as "glacier stream" or/and "glacial meltwater stream". The movement of the water is influenced and directed by gravity and the melting of ice.[1] The melting of ice forms different types of glacial streams such as supraglacial, englacial, subglacial and proglacial streams.[1] Water enters supraglacial streams that sit at the top of the glacier via filtering through snow in the accumulation zone and forming slush pools at the FIRN zone.[2] The water accumulates on top of the glacier in supraglacial lakes and into supraglacial stream channels.[2] The meltwater then flows through various different streams either entering inside the glacier into englacial channels or under the glacier into subglacial channels.[2] Finally, the water leaves the glacier through proglacial streams or lakes.[2] Proglacial streams do not only act as the terminus point but can also receive meltwater.[2] Glacial streams can play a significant role in energy exchange and in the transport of meltwater and sediment. [3]

  1. ^ a b c United States Geological Survey. "Glossary of Glacier Terminology". Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e Chu, Vena (2014-11-26). "Greenland ice sheet hydrology: A review". Progress in Physical Geography. 38: 19–54. doi:10.1177/0309133313507075. S2CID 56217787.
  3. ^ St Germain, Sarah L.; Moorman, Brian J. (2019). "Long-term observations of supraglacial streams on an Arctic glacier". Journal of Glaciology. 65 (254): 900–911. Bibcode:2019JGlac..65..900S. doi:10.1017/jog.2019.60. ISSN 0022-1430.