Landsat image of an ice stream on the Slessor Glacier, Flichner Ice Shelf, East Antarctica (NASA).

Ice streams are fast moving extensions of ice caps and ice sheets.  The heavy crevassing is produced by drag and pressure by adjacent slow moving ice masses.  In the center of this photo an ice stream can be seen by the indicative crevassing.  Jakobshavns effect is a positive feedback loop associated with ice streams that leads to increased velocities by basal lubrication from surface melting.

 

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