Moulin

/muːˈlæn/ noun

Definition

A nearly vertical shaft or tunnel in a glacier created by meltwater flowing downward.

Etymology

From French 'moulin' (mill), from Latin 'molinum.' Glaciologists borrowed the word because the water spins like water in a mill as it drops through the ice.

Kelly Says

These moulins are like glaciers' plumbing system, and scientists have discovered that they actually lubricate the bottom of glaciers, speeding up their flow toward the sea—the ice moves faster with better drainage.

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