Glaciers: From the Pleistocene to the Present

Glaciers are large, slowly-moving masses of ice that have been shaping the Earth’s surface for thousands of years. Glaciers covered large swathes of the Northern Hemisphere during the Pleistocene Epoch (also known as the Ice Age). At the time, glaciers could be found as far south as present-day Ohio and Virginia in the United States (Cohen & Gibbard, 2016). However, since the end of the Pleistocene, the global climate has warmed and the world’s glaciers have been retreating. Today, glaciers are largely concentrated in the polar regions, mountain ranges, and high latitudes, including Alaska and Canada (Anderson & Anderson, 2018). Glaciers can make a huge impact on landscapes. Large bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers, are created by glaciers. (Antevs 2021). Glaciers may also have the ability to create deep valleys like the U-shaped Valleys in the Rocky Mountains.

Still struggling to complete your homework?
Get instant homework help from our expert academic writers!