Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth. Many glaciers from temperate, alpine and seasonal polar climates store water as ice during the colder seasons and release it later in the form of meltwater as warmer summer temperatures cause the glacier to melt, creating a water source that is especially important for plants, animals and human uses when other sources may be scant. Within high altitude and Antarctic environments, the seasonal temperature difference is often not sufficient to release meltwater. COUNT 4
QSN1 Do Earth's lakes or glaciers hold the most freshwater? ANS1 glaciers QSN2 What causes glaciers to release meltwater? ANS2 warmer summer temperatures QSN3 In which area are summer temperatures not high enough to release meltwater from glaciers? ANS3 Antarctic environments QSN4 Under what circumstances would humans require water from a glacier? ANS4 when other sources may be scant