ice cap

views updated May 18 2018

ice cap An ice mass that is less than 50 000 km2 in area, but is large enough to cover the underlying topography and whose flow behaviour is a consequence of its size and shape. It consists of a central ice dome, where accumulation dominates, together with outlet glaciers radiating from the periphery.

A Dictionary of Ecology MICHAEL ALLABY

ice cap

views updated Jun 08 2018

ice cap (also icecap) • n. a covering of ice over a large area, esp. on the polar region of a planet.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

ice cap

All Sources -
Updated Aug 08 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic