Glaciers Practice Questions
20 free Glaciers practice questions for the Static GK. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
Which of the following is the largest glacier in the world, located in Antarctica?
- A Lambert Glacier
- B Siachen Glacier
- C Hubbard Glacier
- D Fedchenko Glacier
Correct answer: Lambert Glacier
The Lambert-Fisher Glacier in Antarctica holds the Guinness World Record for the largest glacier. It is over 400 km long and about 100 km wide, draining about 8% of the Antarctic ice sheet.
What is the term for a deep crack or fracture found in an ice sheet or glacier?
- A Moraine
- B Crevasse
- C Cirque
- D Icefield
Correct answer: Crevasse
A crevasse is a deep open crack in a glacier caused by the stress resulting from the movement of the ice over uneven terrain. They are often hidden by snow, making them extremely dangerous for mountaineers.
The 'Siachen Glacier', known as the highest battlefield in the world, is located in which mountain range?
- A Himalayas
- B Karakoram
- C Hindu Kush
- D Pir Panjal
Correct answer: Karakoram
Siachen is the longest glacier in the Karakoram range and the second-longest in the world's non-polar areas. It is situated just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends.
Which of the following is the longest glacier outside of the polar regions?
- A Baltoro Glacier
- B Great Aletsch Glacier
- C Fedchenko Glacier
- D Jostedalsbreen
Correct answer: Fedchenko Glacier
The Fedchenko Glacier is a large glacier in the Yazgulem Range of the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan. It extends for about 77 km and is the longest glacier in the world outside of the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
What is the term for the process by which a glacier loses ice through melting, evaporation, or calving?
- A Accumulation
- B Ablation
- C Plucking
- D Sublimation
Correct answer: Ablation
Ablation refers to all processes that remove snow or ice from a glacier. The health of a glacier depends on the balance between accumulation (adding snow) and ablation.
Accumulations of dirt and rocks that have been pushed along or deposited by a glacier are called:
- A Drumlins
- B Fiords
- C Nunataks
- D Moraines
Correct answer: Moraines
Moraines are landforms made of glacial till (unsorted sediment). Depending on their position relative to the glacier, they are classified as terminal, lateral, medial, or ground moraines.
The 'Vatnajökull' glacier, the largest and most voluminous ice cap in Europe, is located in which country?
- A Norway
- B Greenland
- C Switzerland
- D Iceland
Correct answer: Iceland
Vatnajökull covers about 8% of Iceland's landmass. Several active volcanoes are located under the ice cap, leading to periodic subglacial eruptions and catastrophic floods known as jökulhlaups.
What is a 'Cirque' in glacial geography?
- A A sharp, narrow mountain ridge
- B A long, winding ridge of sand
- C A large boulder transported by glacial ice
- D A bowl-shaped hollow carved by a glacier
Correct answer: A bowl-shaped hollow carved by a glacier
A cirque is a bowl-shaped depression on the side of or near mountains. After the glacier melts, the depression is often filled with water, forming a mountain lake known as a tarn.
The 'Perito Moreno Glacier', one of the few glaciers in the world that is still advancing, is found in which country?
- A Chile
- B New Zealand
- C Canada
- D Argentina
Correct answer: Argentina
Located in Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia, Argentina, this glacier is a major tourist attraction. It is famous for the spectacular 'ruptures' that occur when it blocks the flow of Lake Argentino.
What term is used for a pointed, mountain peak which remains uncovered by ice and is surrounded by a glacier?
- A Arete
- B Horn
- C U-shaped valley
- D Nunatak
Correct answer: Nunatak
A nunatak is an Inuit word for a summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes through an ice field or glacier. They serve as important biological refugia for hardy plant and animal species.
The 'Gangotri Glacier', the source of the river Bhagirathi (Ganga), is located in which Indian state?
- A Himachal Pradesh
- B Sikkim
- C Uttarakhand
- D Arunachal Pradesh
Correct answer: Uttarakhand
Gangotri Glacier is one of the largest in the Himalayas and is situated in the Uttarkashi district. The terminus of the glacier is called Gaumukh, which resembles a cow's mouth.
Which of the following describes an 'Esker'?
- A A streamlined hill shaped like an egg
- B A deep, narrow sea inlet between high cliffs
- C A jagged rocky ridge running between two glaciers
- D A winding ridge of gravel and sand from meltwater
Correct answer: A winding ridge of gravel and sand from meltwater
Eskers are formed by streams flowing in tunnels under or within a glacier. When the ice melts, the sediments that were carried in the tunnel remain as a winding ridge on the landscape.
The 'Jostedalsbreen' is the largest glacier on the European mainland. In which country is it located?
- A Sweden
- B Austria
- C Norway
- D France
Correct answer: Norway
Located in Western Norway, Jostedalsbreen covers an area of about 487 square kilometers. It is not a remnant of the last ice age but formed during a later period of climatic cooling.
What is 'Glacial Flour'?
- A A type of food used by explorers
- B The white snow on top of a glacier
- C Fine rock particles from glacial erosion
- D Crystalline structures found in crevasses
Correct answer: Fine rock particles from glacial erosion
Glacial flour (or rock flour) consists of silt-sized particles of rock. When this flour enters lakes or rivers, it reflects light and gives the water a distinct turquoise or milky green color.
The 'Furtwängler Glacier' is a rapidly disappearing ice cap located on the summit of which mountain?
- A Mount Kilimanjaro
- B Mount Everest
- C Mount McKinley
- D Mount Popocatepetl
Correct answer: Mount Kilimanjaro
Furtwängler is a small remnant of the ice cap that once covered the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It is predicted to disappear completely in the coming decades due to climate change.
What is the process called when a large chunk of ice breaks off from the edge of a glacier into the sea?
- A Calving
- B Surging
- C Plucking
- D Striation
Correct answer: Calving
Calving is the sudden release of ice chunks from a glacier, iceberg, or ice shelf. This process results in the formation of new icebergs floating in the ocean.
Which country has the most glaciers outside of the polar regions?
- A Pakistan
- B India
- C Canada
- D Tajikistan
Correct answer: Pakistan
Pakistan contains the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions, mostly in the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalayan ranges. It is often referred to as the 'Third Pole'.
The 'Pindari Glacier' is located in the Kumaon region of which state?
- A Sikkim
- B Himachal Pradesh
- C Uttarakhand
- D West Bengal
Correct answer: Uttarakhand
The Pindari Glacier is found in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand. It is a popular trekking destination and is situated between the Nanda Devi and Nanda Kot peaks.
A 'Fiord' (or Fjord) is a glacial landform described as:
- A A deep, narrow sea inlet between cliffs
- B A mountain peak shaped by three glaciers
- C A large plain of glacial till
- D A waterfall caused by a hanging valley
Correct answer: A deep, narrow sea inlet between cliffs
Fjords are formed when a glacier retreats, after carving its typical U-shaped valley, and the sea fills the resulting valley floor. Norway is world-famous for its extensive and beautiful fjords.
Which of the following is an example of a 'Piedmont Glacier', which flows out of a valley and spreads out over flat land?
- A Malaspina Glacier
- B Fox Glacier
- C Great Aletsch Glacier
- D Biafo Glacier
Correct answer: Malaspina Glacier
The Malaspina Glacier in Alaska is the classic example of a piedmont glacier. It is the largest of its type in the world, spreading out across the coastal plain near the Gulf of Alaska.