Which statement about continental glaciers is true?

• A. They are small valley glaciers.
• B. They never cover bedrock.
• C. They only exist in the northern hemisphere.
• D. They are vast ice sheets covering large areas, with thickness often 3000 meters or more, including ice caps and ice sheets.

Answer: (D)

Continental glaciers are enormous ice sheets that blanket large regions of a continent, flowing outward from central zones of accumulation. Their great thickness and expansive reach distinguish them from smaller, localized valley glaciers that carve through mountains. Because they cover large areas of bedrock and reshape landscapes, the idea that continental glaciers never cover bedrock isn’t correct. They also aren’t confined to one hemisphere; major continental glaciers exist in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres ( Greenland in the north and Antarctica in the south). The statement that best describes continental glaciers is that they are vast ice sheets covering large areas with significant thickness—often around 3000 meters or more—encompassing ice caps and ice sheets.