Fresh Water From Glaciers?

Most recent answer: 03/02/2015

Q:
How is there fresh water in ice glaciers, when there is salt water in the ocean?
- luke pearson (age 14)
oshawa, ontario, canada
A:

Hello Luke,

Glaciers are made from compacted snow, which contains little or no salt. Icebergs floating in the polar seas are also compacted snow that has formed glaciers.   When the glaciers eventually reach the sea coast thay break up into huge chunks, the icebergs.

LeeH

And the snow is salt-free because it formed from water vapor in the atmosphere. When the water evaporated, it left the salt behind. Even if some ice forms on the sea itself, the ice crystals include almost no salt. It gets pushed out into the liquid because it doesn't fit right in the crystals.  Mike W.


(published on 03/02/2015)