Umkhenkce yinkqubo yokwakheka komhlaba eyenzeka xa kukho intabalala yomkhenkce, ebizwa ngokuba yimikhenkce, ukwenza emhlabeni okanye ukuhamba phezu komhlaba. Ii-glaciers zenziwe ngekhephu eliye laqokelelana kwiminyaka emininzi, othi ekugqibeleni ucinezeleke kwaye wenze umkhenkce. Umkhenkce wenzeka kwiindawo apho amaqondo obushushu ahlala engaphantsi kweqondo lomkhenkce nalapho kukho ikhephu elaneleyo lokuxhasa ukumila komkhenkce..
Zimbini iindidi eziphambili zemikhenkce: iintlambo zomkhenkce kunye namacwecwe omkhenkce. Imikhenkce yase Valley inde, imikhenkce emxinwa equkuqela ezintlanjeni yaye inokufunyanwa kwimimandla yeentaba. Amashiti omkhenkce, kwelinye icala, zinkulu kakhulu kwaye zigubungela indawo ezinkulu zomhlaba, njengeGreenland kunye neAntarctic ice sheets.
I-glaciers inempembelelo ebalulekileyo kumhlaba womhlaba kwaye inokukhukuliseka, uthutho, kwaye bafake izixa ezikhulu zentlenga njengoko zihamba. Njengoko umkhenkce ujikeleza umhlaba, baqingqe iintlambo, yenza ama-ridges kunye ne-moraines, kunye nokubumba ubume bomhlaba jikelele.
I-glaciation inokuba nempembelelo ebalulekileyo kwimozulu yoMhlaba, njengoko umkhenkce ubonakalisa ngakumbi ukukhanya kwelanga kwakhona esithubeni kunomhlaba okanye amanzi, kubangela impembelelo yokupholisa kwimozulu. Ngexesha lomkhenkce wokugqibela, eyenzeka malunga 2.6 million ukuya 11,700 Kwiminyaka eyadlulayo, iindawo ezinkulu zoMhlaba zazigqunywe ngamaqhekeza omkhenkce kunye nomkhenkce, kukhokelela kutshintsho olubalulekileyo kwimozulu yoMhlaba kunye nenkqubo yendalo.
Namhlanje, Imikhenkce zizalathisi ezibalulekileyo zokutshintsha kwemozulu, njengoko ubukhulu nobungakanani bazo bunxibelelene ngokusondeleyo namaqondo obushushu ehlabathi. Ukurhoxa komkhenkce, njengoko kubonwa kwiindawo ezininzi zehlabathi, luphawu lokufudumala kwehlabathi kwaye lunempembelelo ebalulekileyo ekunyukeni komphakamo wolwandle, imithombo yamanzi, kunye ne-ikhosistim.