Water in Glaciers and Ice Sheets

Glacial meltwater is an important component of the glacial system. Water flow through glaciers and ice sheets (glacier hydrology) is an important control on the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets. This contribution describes the sources of meltwater on glaciers and ice sheets, explains how water is stored in and moves through glaciers, describes the methods used to study glacier hydrology, outlines the principles of subglacial water pressure and evaluates the processes of glacial meltwater erosion. It also explains the characteristics and significance of glacier hydrology and how meltwater flows in supraglacial, englacial, and subglacial positions. Subglacial meltwater is particularly strongly linked to glacier motion through enhanced glacier sliding and because subglacial meltwater is required for subglacial sediment deformation. The processes of glacier erosion related to meltwater flow in ice sheets and glaciers are also described.