托福阅读――地质地貌类(六).pdfVIP

智 课 网 托 福 备 考 资 料 托福阅读――地质地貌类（六） Glaciers are open systems, with snow as the system’s input and meltwater as the systems main output. The glacial system is governed by two basic climatic variables: precipitation and temperature. For a glacier to grow or maintain its mass, there must be sufficient snowfall to match or exceed the annual loss through melting, evaporation, and calving, which occurs when the glacier loses solid chunks as icebergs to the sea or to large lakes. If summer temperatures are high for too long, then all the snowfall from the previous wint