Use the phase diagram of water to explain?
why ice at the bottom of a glacier can melt when the rest of the glacier which is the same temperature remains solid.
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If you look at the phase diagram of water, you will notice that the melting point curve slants to the left. It has a negative gradient. This means that the melting point of water decreases as the pressure is increase. At the bottom of glacier, it experiences a greater pressure, hence its melting point decreases. This means that it will only become ice at a lower temperature. At that temperature, the liquid water is more stable, hence it melts.In your phase diagram, you just draw a vertical line upward(increase in pressure) from the melting point curve and you will be in the liquid region of the phase diagram.
If you look at the phase diagram of water, you will notice that the melting point curve slants to the left. It has a negative gradient. This means that the melting point of water decreases as the pressure is increase. At the bottom of glacier, it experiences a greater pressure, hence its melting point decreases. This means that it will only become ice at a lower temperature. At that temperature, the liquid water is more stable, hence it melts.In your phase diagram, you just draw a vertical line upward(increase in pressure) from the melting point curve and you will be in the liquid region of the phase diagram.
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