Q 01/05

A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds what, over many years?

A) Its precipitation

B) Its ablation

C) Its friction

D) Its albedo

Answer · why

B) Its ablation

Ablation is the loss of ice by melting, evaporation and calving; the equilibrium line marks where gain equals loss.

Q 02/05

Roughly what percentage of Earth's glacial ice is held in the polar ice sheets?

A) About 90%

B) About 50%

C) About 75%

D) About 99%

Answer · why

D) About 99%

The rest is in mountain glaciers on every continent except mainland Australia.

Q 03/05

Which country has more glacial ice than any other outside the polar regions?

A) Canada

B) Switzerland

C) Pakistan

D) Nepal

Answer · why

C) Pakistan

It has more than 7,000 known glaciers.

Q 04/05

Glaciers cover roughly what share of Earth's land surface?

A) About 40%

B) About 25%

C) About 1%

D) About 10%

Answer · why

D) About 10%

Nearly all of that is the Antarctic ice sheet, which blankets about 98% of the continent to an average depth of 2,100 metres.

Q 05/05

Glacial ice and ice sheets hold roughly what share of the world's fresh water?

A) About 69%

B) About 95%

C) About 9%

D) About 30%

Answer · why

A) About 69%

That makes glaciers the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet.