What is Glacial Retreat?
<p>While scientists have identified several subtypes of glaciers, the two main categories are ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Ice sheets are large sheets of ice that can cover entire continents, while alpine glaciers function more like frozen rivers sliding down mountains due to their own weight. While there are nearly 200,000 glaciers worldwide, there are currently only two ice sheets in the world; the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Greenland Ice Sheet.</p>
<p>Ice sheet glaciers function like large masses of land and account for two-thirds of the world’s fresh water. These glaciers are important for local animal life that live on their surfaces at least part-time, such as penguins, seals, and polar bears. Alpine glaciers are also important for large-scale processes, as they carry sediments containing important nutrients into lakes, rivers, and oceans.</p>
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