A glacier is a mass of ice formed from large amounts of snow. Due to external factors such as the climate, glaciers change and move. They store large quantities of fresh water for us and also act as climate indicators: By means of drillings one can compare earlier conditions with the today's ones. Snow and ice algae, bacteria, fungi and tardigrades live on the glacier. The creatures are adapted to the high UV radiation and the cold.
Explanation for children:
Glaciers are huge masses of ice that were once formed from large amounts of snow. Because they consist only of ice and snow, they are not as rigid as a mountain, but change and move. Glaciers are very important for us because they store our freshwater. You can also look over glaciers into the past: You can drill into them. The further inside you drill, the further you travel into the past. Then you can see, for example, what stuck to the ice in the past. Snow and ice algae, bacteria and fungi live on the glacier. The creatures are adapted to the high UV radiation and the cold.