High School

In the context of climate change, describe what is happening to the zone of accumulation and the zone of ablation in glaciers today?
a. Both zones are expanding
b. Both zones are shrinking
c. Zone of accumulation is shrinking, and the zone of ablation is expanding
d. Zone of accumulation is expanding, and the zone of ablation is shrinking

Answer :

Final answer:

The zone of accumulation and the zone of ablation in glaciers are impacted by global warming, leading to changes in their sizes.

Explanation:

The zone of accumulation and the zone of ablation in glaciers are experiencing changes in today's climate due to global warming.

  1. Zone of accumulation: This zone, where snow accumulation exceeds melting, is shrinking due to warmer temperatures causing reduced snowfall.
  2. Zone of ablation: In this zone, ice melting exceeds snow accumulation, leading to an expansion as a result of increased temperatures causing more ice to melt.
  3. Equilibrium line: The boundary between the accumulation and ablation zones, signifies the balance point affected by climate changes.