Lesson 2A.5

2A.5 Glacier movement Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Geography, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 2A.5, Glacier movement: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Geography (9GE0), Unit 2: Topic 2A: Glaciated Landscapes and Change, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Which type of glacier generally moves at a faster rate?

    • Temperate glacier
    • Cold-based glacier
    • Polar glacier
    • Sub-polar glacier

  2. Which process allows a glacier to slide over bedrock on a film of meltwater?

    • Basal slip
    • Internal deformation
    • Regelation creep
    • Sublimation

  3. Which process describes the melting of ice under pressure and refreezing on the downstream side of an obstacle?

    • Internal deformation
    • Ablation by sublimation
    • Basal slip
    • Regelation

  4. What process involves ice crystals slipping past each other within a moving glacier?

    • Surface calving
    • Internal deformation
    • Regelation creep
    • Basal slip

  5. Which factor is most likely to increase the rate of glacier movement?

    • Cold basal ice
    • Steeper slope
    • Flatter terrain
    • Reduced mass

  6. Why do lower-altitude glaciers often experience faster rates of basal slip?

    • Thinner ice cover
    • Lower friction forces
    • Colder ice temperatures
    • Warmer basal temperatures

  7. Why do polar glaciers generally move more slowly than temperate glaciers?

    • Frozen basal beds
    • Steeper bedrock slopes
    • Excess basal meltwater
    • Higher surface temperatures

  8. Which physical factor directly controls driving stress and glacier movement rates?

    • Wind speed
    • Sublimation rate
    • Surface colour
    • Ice thickness

  9. What type of feedback occurs when increased basal meltwater accelerates glacier sliding?

    • Positive feedback
    • System threshold
    • Negative feedback
    • Dynamic equilibrium

  10. What happens to glacier movement when basal temperature reaches the pressure melting point?

    • Deformation ceases
    • Calving decreases
    • Movement stops
    • Movement accelerates

  11. Which process allows glacial ice to pass around small bedrock obstacles?

    • Internal deformation
    • Surface melting
    • Extensional flow
    • Regelation creep

  12. Why does a long-term negative mass balance cause a glacier to move more slowly?

    • Lower rock friction
    • Increased basal water
    • Reduced ice mass
    • Steeper ice gradient

  13. Which force varies along a valley to cause variations in glacier speed?

    • Basal drag
    • Geothermal flux
    • Compressional flow
    • Driving stress

  14. Which process produces the highest rates of movement in warm-based glaciers?

    • Glacial quarrying
    • Internal deformation
    • Subaerial weathering
    • Basal sliding

  15. What drives the process of internal deformation within a glacier?

    • Subglacial bed slope
    • Overlying ice weight
    • Basal meltwater pressure
    • Geothermal heat flow

  16. Which process involves ice melting upstream of obstacles and refreezing downstream?

    • Regelation
    • Internal deformation
    • Extensional flow
    • Subglacial compaction

  17. What causes warm-based glaciers to move faster during summer months?

    • Enhanced freeze-thaw action
    • Increased internal deformation
    • Basal meltwater lubrication
    • Greater ice accumulation

  18. What thermal condition keeps a cold-based glacier frozen to its bed?

    • Below pressure melting point
    • Above pressure melting point
    • Geothermal melting points
    • Isothermal ice conditions

  19. What parameter is directly calculated by tracking surface stake positions over time?

    • Glacier surface velocity
    • Total mass balance
    • Subglacial bed pressure
    • Ice density profile

  20. In which pattern does ice flow outwards from the centre of an ice sheet?

    • Centripetally into basin
    • Unilaterally along margins
    • Linearly down valley
    • Radially from dome

All Pearson Edexcel Geography quizzes