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Types of Glaciers
There are five different kinds of mountain glaciers, ice shelves (frequently mistaken for icebergs) and ice sheets that are also called continental glaciers. It's possible to find many smaller glaciers in mountains and the huge ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica are quite literally continental glaciers. All glaciers, regardless of type, depend on location, climate and temperature in order to form and move.
The Cryosphere and Polar Regions
Glaciers are found in two places on earth, the cryosphere and polar ice regions. The cryosphere is the area of the earth's service that consistently stays below the freezing point of water. The earth's polar ice regions are above the Arctic and Antarctic circle. In other words, in high mountaintops and the far north and south. Glaciers will form in these areas if snow falls, accumulates and becomes compacted so air is forced out from between the snow and becomes heavier and heavier. Eventually the pressure builds into a solid block of crystallized ice.
The Snowline
Glaciers can only form in climates above the snowline. This refers to a climate that is not warm enough to melt snow, so it can accumulate all year-round. Accumulation is related to temperature and climate as much as latitude is. Snow can't accumulate if it keeps melting or blowing away. Where the snowline is depends on either latitude or temperature. Mountains that are located in temperate regions instead of polar regions can still have glacial formations.
Glacial Ages
There are different theories in the scientific community as to what is needed to cause a glacial age. Scientists do know that they are related to geological factors like continental drift, astronomical events and changes in ocean circulation. This is a period in the earth's history when virtually the whole planet was covered in glaciers. Much of the topography of North America still shows the signs of these glacial ages.