
school energy&environment
Ice and glaciers
Ice forms when water in the liquid state freezes. Freezing temperature depends on the content of salt dissolved in the water: at normal atmospheric pressure, it is 0° C for pure water, not greatly different for fresh water and it drops to -1.8°C in the case of sea water. When temperatures drop below freezing point, water turns into the solid state. This is true for water that flows freely on the Earth’s surface as also for stretches of water such as lakes, rivers, seas , and also for water trapped in wedges in rocks and in pores in the ground, where ice lenses and veins form. Running water, due to its movement, freezes more slowly than still water, for this reason it is easier in winter to see the formation of ice on the surface of small stretches of still water, while the waterways are not frozen.
subjects dealt with in Ice and glaciers

Ice
Since most of the Earth’s ice does not come from frozen pure water, the ice we see generally consists of…

What glaciers are
The mass of ice that forms a glacier is not a static and homogeneous mass: the ice has different characteristics…

Ice tales
Observations of the front variations include monitoring changes in shape and position of the front of a glacier. Once, this…

Glaciation
Glaciations, periods of cold climate in which the glaciers all over the planet are characterized by a great expansion, and…

Glaciers, a resource
Glaciers in dry temperate regions supply a source of water which is very important for the economy of local rural…
special reports
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10 December 2019 / Water
In the fridge of the world
A fascinated continent Antarctica is a continent with a very particular charm. It was the last to be discovered and…
26 December 2019 / Water
Life in Antarctica
Moving in Antarctica How is it possible to live and work in Antarctica? Which sagacities must be used for a…
15 April 2014 / Water
How rich are we .... in blue gold?
The blue planet: water availability in the world 24 December 1968, a date of historical importance. The Earth was photographed…
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26 February 2014 / Water
How much water is on your plate?
Still waters run deep! This proverb reminds us how many times we have heard popular proverbs about water, and how…
7 October 2021 / Water
Water grabbing
“Clear, sweet fresh water,” wrote Petrarch, by many considered a precursor of Italian literature. Before him, St. Francis dedicated two…
17 May 2021 / Water
Lost ice
According to a study conducted by a French and Swiss research team recently published in the leading journal Nature, continental…
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15 April 2021 / Water
Oceans of plastic
From the soles of shoes to contact lenses, from the smartphones we carry around in our pockets to the toothpaste…
26 December 2019 / Water
Life in Antarctica
Moving in Antarctica How is it possible to live and work in Antarctica? Which sagacities must be used for a…
10 December 2019 / Water
In the fridge of the world
A fascinated continent Antarctica is a continent with a very particular charm. It was the last to be discovered and…
-
10 December 2019 / Water
In the fridge of the world
A fascinated continent Antarctica is a continent with a very particular charm. It was the last to be discovered and…
26 December 2019 / Water
Life in Antarctica
Moving in Antarctica How is it possible to live and work in Antarctica? Which sagacities must be used for a…
-
15 April 2014 / Water
How rich are we .... in blue gold?
The blue planet: water availability in the world 24 December 1968, a date of historical importance. The Earth was photographed…
26 February 2014 / Water
How much water is on your plate?
Still waters run deep! This proverb reminds us how many times we have heard popular proverbs about water, and how…
-
7 October 2021 / Water
Water grabbing
“Clear, sweet fresh water,” wrote Petrarch, by many considered a precursor of Italian literature. Before him, St. Francis dedicated two…
17 May 2021 / Water
Lost ice
According to a study conducted by a French and Swiss research team recently published in the leading journal Nature, continental…
-
15 April 2021 / Water
Oceans of plastic
From the soles of shoes to contact lenses, from the smartphones we carry around in our pockets to the toothpaste…
26 December 2019 / Water
Life in Antarctica
Moving in Antarctica How is it possible to live and work in Antarctica? Which sagacities must be used for a…
-
10 December 2019 / Water
In the fridge of the world
A fascinated continent Antarctica is a continent with a very particular charm. It was the last to be discovered and…
10 December 2019 / Water
In the fridge of the world
A fascinated continent Antarctica is a continent with a very particular charm. It was the last to be discovered and…
26 December 2019 / Water
Life in Antarctica
Moving in Antarctica How is it possible to live and work in Antarctica? Which sagacities must be used for a…
15 April 2014 / Water
How rich are we .... in blue gold?
The blue planet: water availability in the world 24 December 1968, a date of historical importance. The Earth was photographed…
26 February 2014 / Water
How much water is on your plate?
Still waters run deep! This proverb reminds us how many times we have heard popular proverbs about water, and how…
7 October 2021 / Water
Water grabbing
“Clear, sweet fresh water,” wrote Petrarch, by many considered a precursor of Italian literature. Before him, St. Francis dedicated two…
17 May 2021 / Water
Lost ice
According to a study conducted by a French and Swiss research team recently published in the leading journal Nature, continental…
15 April 2021 / Water
Oceans of plastic
From the soles of shoes to contact lenses, from the smartphones we carry around in our pockets to the toothpaste…
26 December 2019 / Water
Life in Antarctica
Moving in Antarctica How is it possible to live and work in Antarctica? Which sagacities must be used for a…
10 December 2019 / Water
In the fridge of the world
A fascinated continent Antarctica is a continent with a very particular charm. It was the last to be discovered and…
from the Multimedia section
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Sea in love
In Italy, the "mare in amore" phenomenon occurs very often: the part of the sea coast where this occurs is…
Sea in love
In Italy, the "mare in amore" phenomenon occurs very often: the part of the sea coast where this occurs is…