Why might glacier retreat increase river flow in the short term? (Passage: Glacier retreat)
Measurements taken over forty years show that a particular alpine glacier has lost roughly 30 metres of ice thickness. Meltwater from glaciers feeds rivers during dry summers, so in the short term retreat can increase river flow. Hydrologists call the point at which flow reaches its maximum 'peak water'. After this point the shrinking glacier supplies less each year, and rivers that depend on it decline. For this glacier, peak water is thought to have passed in the 1990s, although the estimate depends on assumptions about future rainfall.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Extra meltwater is released as the ice melts
- Step 1: Find the mechanism in the second sentence. Step 2. Meltwater feeds rivers in dry summers, and more melting means more water for a time. Answer: Extra meltwater is released as the ice melts. Why not the others: Rainfall, diversion and absorption are not mentioned.
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