Continental Glacier

(i) they are confined to Polar Regions like Antarctica and Greenland.

(ii) They are thick ice sheets.

(iii) They are extensive and cover a large area and may extend up to 5000 km.

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(iv) Their movement is extremely slow.

(v) They move due to pressure.

(vi) They break off at the edge of the continents and these big blocks float as icebergs in the sea.

Mountain Glaciers

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(i) Mountain Glaciers are confined to high altitudes, i.e., the Mountains.

(ii) They are not as extensive as the continental glacier.

(iii) They are like tongues of ice moving down the valley.

(iv) They are shorter in length (not exceeding 100 km.).

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(v) Their movement, though slow, is slightly faster than the continental gla­cier. Their movement is faster at the centre than at the sides (due to friction at the sides).

(vi) They move due to gravity and pressure.

(vii) When they melt at lower altitudes they give rise to perennial rivers, e.g., the Ganga and the Yamuna.