Here's why it's confusing and what the correct terms are:
* Glaciers don't "drift" in the way we usually think of drifting. Glaciers are massive ice sheets that move very slowly due to gravity and their own weight. They don't "drift" like a boat on water.
* Glaciers do "transport" material. As glaciers move, they pick up rocks, soil, and other debris. This material is called glacial till, and it's deposited as the glacier melts and retreats.
* The process of glaciers moving and depositing material is called "glacial deposition." This is the more accurate term to describe the movement and deposition of material by glaciers.
Here's a breakdown of related terms:
* Glacial drift: This term is often used colloquially to refer to the general movement of glaciers or the material they carry. However, it's not a precise geological term.
* Glacial till: The unsorted, unstratified material deposited directly by glaciers.
* Glacial deposition: The process by which glaciers deposit material, forming various landforms like moraines, drumlins, and outwash plains.
* Glacial erosion: The process by which glaciers carve and shape the land.
Therefore, if someone mentions "glacier drift," it's likely they are referring to either the movement of glaciers or the material they carry, which is more accurately termed "glacial till."
