What term describes a large mass of moving ice and snow on land?

A glacier is the term that best describes a large mass of moving ice and snow on land. Glaciers form from the accumulation and compaction of snow over many years and can flow slowly under the influence of gravity. They are significant features in many landscapes and play a critical role in shaping mountains and valleys through processes such as erosion.

To elaborate, glaciers can vary in size, but they are typically large enough to create observable movement, which distinguishes them from smaller forms of ice. Their dynamic nature, where they can advance, retreat, and change shape, is a defining characteristic that sets glaciers apart from other types of snow or ice formations like snowfields, which are static areas of snow that do not flow.

While an ice sheet is also a large mass of ice that covers a vast area, the specific term for a moving mass of ice is glacier, as it emphasizes the flow characteristic. A crevasse refers to a deep crack in a glacier, and a snowfield is a flat expanse of snow. Understanding these distinctions is key to grasping glacial processes and their importance in Earth's climate system.