Question

The huge mass of ice and snow moving slowly is called _____________.
A. Glacier
B. Moraine
C. Magma
D. Lava

Answer 1

Hint: Out of the total 1.386 billion $km^3$ volume of water present on earth, $97.5\%$ is saline water present in seas and oceans and only $2.5\%$ is freshwater. Even in terms of freshwater, only $0.3\%$ is present in liquid form on the surface while the larger percentage of it is either frozen at the poles or seeps into the cracks of the earth as groundwater.

Complete answer:
Option A: is correct. A glacier is a huge mass of ice and snow moving slowly and is formed due to accumulation of snow over a long period that gradually deforms and flows due to their weight. Glaciers contain around $70\%$ of the freshwater in the world and they are located majorly in the polar ice sheets and a smaller percentage of it in the mountain ranges.
Option B: is incorrect. Moraines are formed due to the deposition of materials from the glaciers once they have retreated. This debris also referred to as glacial till is made up of boulders, rocks, gravel and sand.
Option C: is incorrect. Magma is molten material found deep inside the earth’s surface and is produced by melting of the earth’s mantle or crust. It forms the main part of a volcanic eruption. The main minerals contained in magma are silicon, oxygen, aluminium, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium.
Option D: is incorrect. When the magma erupts during volcanic activity, it is called lava. After the lava flows and solidifies, it makes up igneous rocks that are rich in silicate minerals.
Hence, the correct answer is, ’A.Glacier’.

Note: Ice and snow are present at the poles in the form of Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic Islands in the north pole and Antarctic Ice Sheet in the south pole. Ice and snow are also present in mountain ranges across the world and are replenished as precipitation in the form of snowfall at higher latitudes and altitudes.