Talk:Athabasca Glacier

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did not edit anything on athabasca glacier page, want to nick pick it's math, hoping somebody else corrects it. if the athabasca glacier advances several centimeters per day that would be 7.3 meters per year, so, how can it retreat 5 meters per year ? the math 7.3 minus 5 implies that it advances 2.3 meters per year. Stevehartwell (talk) 21:32, 23 September 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Strictly speaking no part of a glacier ever retreats. Each ice crystal only flows down the slope until it finally melts (in this case it might flow down some centimeters per day). However, the glacier front can be said to "retreat". That is, if the glacier flows down 7 metres a year, and the lowest 12 metres melt, then the glacier front "retreats" 5 metres per year.

Unfortunately the statement you referred to in 2016, was removed soon after you posted. Fomalhaut76 (talk) 08:27, 21 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]