This educational brief describes the nature and properties of the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets. Topics include the thickness and aereal extent of the ice sheets, volume of water contained in them, mass balance, and the mechanisms by which ice is lost from or accumulated by the ice sheets. Full description.

This text explains how glaciers scour and grind the Earth's surface, and about the sorts of deposits they leave behind. Emphasis is on glaciation in the mountains and valleys of Vermont. Links to related topics are included. Full description.

This news article examines evidence that parts of the Antarctic ice sheet have undergone episodes of instability that appear to correspond with periods of unusually warm temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere during the last ice age. Full description.

This document provides an explanation of the factors that are thought to drive the growth and retreat of continental glaciers which spread across the Earth during four periods of geologic history. These factors are thought ot be related to variations in Earth's orbit. Full description.

This graph shows the general trend of changing ice volume on the Earth over the last 750,000 years. The extent of ice is estimated using changes in the amount of different isotopes of oxygen found in planktonic foraminifera which occur as fossils. Full description.

This site discusses the loss of ice from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which has been observed for the last thirty years. Topics include why, when, and how much ice was lost by the ice sheet since the last glacial maximum, and whether the ice sheet was ever smaller than it is today. Full description.

This document discusses possible factors that contributed to the formation of massive continental glaciers during four periods of geologic history. Full description.

After Antarctica, Greenland's ice cap contains the second largest mass of frozen fresh water in the world. Based on new research using NASA's airborne laser altimeter, scientists have identified pronounced thinning of Greenland's ice cap. This new research indicates enough ice loss to cause a measurable rise in sea levels. This site, produced by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, features text, ... Full description.

This animation shows the retreat of the Muir Glacier between 1941 and 1982. A scale bar gives some idea of the distance involved. Full description.

This collection of computer-generated animations shows glaciers and glacial landforms in the vicinity of Glacier Bay, Alaska. An introductory animation shows how the "fly-bys" are created. Full description.