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Not really - most of the glacier ice in Alaska is only a few
tenths of a degree below the melting temperature, except for
a surface layer a few meters thick that is cooled during
winter. As a consequence, most glaciers in Alaska are not
frozen to their beds. These glaciers are referred to as
"temperate" glaciers. Glaciologists refer to a glacier as a
"cold" glacier if it is more than a few degrees below the
freezing temperature throughout most of its thickness. |