nunatak

nunatak
/nun"euh tak'/, n.
a hill or mountain that has been completely encircled by a glacier.
[1875-80; < Inuit (West Greenlandic) nunataq]

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      isolated mountain peak that once projected through a continental ice sheet or an Alpine-type ice cap. Because they usually occur near the margin of an ice sheet, nunataks were thought to be glacial refuges for vegetation and centres for subsequent reoccupation of the land. Later studies revealed the existence of more likely areas of refuge and the fact that postglacial weathering may destroy glacial evidence on peaks. Thus, identification of a true nunatak is difficult, and such peaks often cannot be used to determine former ice thicknesses.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Nunatak — Nu na*tak, n.; pl. { taks}(the pl. form {Nunatakker} is Swedish). [Eskimo nun[ae]ttak.] In Greenland, an insular hill or mountain surrounded by an ice sheet. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • Nunatak — For the band that played in Antarctica for Live Earth, see Nunatak (band). Starr Nunatak, on the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica …   Wikipedia

  • Nunatak — Nunataks nahe der Ostküste Grönlands …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nunatak —  Ne doit pas être confondu avec Pic pyramidal. Nunataks sur la côte orientale du Groenland Un nunatak (en groenlandais nunataq signifiant « montagne » …   Wikipédia en Français

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  • nunatak — noun /ˈnʌnətæk,ˈnuːnətæk/ A mountain top or rocky element of a ridge that is surrounded by glacial ice but is not covered by ice; a peak protruding from the surface ice sheet. The peak in whose lee you have chosen to set up your command post is… …   Wiktionary

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