Polar ice cap
Polar ice cap
The Polar ice cap (pronunciation: /ˈpoʊlər aɪs kæp/) is a high-latitude region of a planet, dwarf planet, or natural satellite that is covered in ice.
Etymology
The term "Polar ice cap" is derived from the Latin polus meaning "end of an axis", ice from Old English is, and cap from Latin cappa meaning "a covering".
Definition
Polar ice caps are dome-shaped sheets of ice found near the North and South Poles. They form because high-latitude polar regions receive less heat from the Sun than equatorial regions, causing temperatures to be very low.
Related Terms
- Glacier: A slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles.
- Ice sheet: A mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km².
- Sea ice: Frozen ocean water. It forms, grows, and melts in the ocean.
- Permafrost: Ground that is permanently frozen for two or more years.
- Climate change: A long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.
See also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Polar ice cap
- Wikipedia's article - Polar ice cap
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski