Science Common Sense

96 - Why do glaciers move?

Glaciers move because of their own weight. Imagine you have a big pile of snow and ice that gets so heavy it starts to slide. That's basically what happens with glaciers. The snow at the top presses down on the snow below, making it melt and turn into ice. This ice then gets squished and starts to flow, kind of like very slow-moving honey. This movement can be very slow, but over time, it can change the shape of the landscape.