| Term | Definition |
| basal slip | ice at the base of a glacier melts due to pressure, causing the glacier to slide downhill |
| internal plastic flow | glaciers flow slowly as grains of ice deform under pressure, sliding over each other |
| calving | the breaking away of a mass of ice from an ice wall or iceberg |
| erosion | process by which land is broken or worn away by wind, water, or ice |
| adhesion | the property of ice and snow which causes it to stick to other materials |
| plucking | when a glacier picks up loose pieces of rock |
| abrasion | the grinding or wearing away of rock |
| deposition | when rocks and other sediment are left behind by a melting glacier |