When a glacier appears to break apart into the water, the process is called calving. Glaciers are not static blocks of ice. They slowly flow downhill under their own weight, and as they reach the edge of a lake or ocean, stress builds until large pieces fracture and fall away. Calving is a normal and ongoing part of a glacier’s life cycle. It happens in cold and warm climates alike and has occurred for as long as glaciers have existed. While rising temperatures and warmer water can increase how