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40d:Glacier
A glacier biome is a biome with a freezing climate that is mostly composed of ice. They are normally only found on the larger world maps.
There are few resources on an ice tile; no trees, plants, water, animals, stone, or ores are typically included. In addition the Ice can be several z-layers thick, which can make getting to any stone underneath even more challenging. Also, the extra layers of ice make it difficult to find Magma Pipes if you embarked with one. Digging through the last layer of ice you can generally find the Magma Pipe's cap (actually, It will be a layer below this). But this will not reveal the Path through the Z-levels the Magma takes.
These factors make a glacier a very difficult biome to build a successful fortress in, although many players try it as a challenge.
Also, because of a glacier's isolation (generally), it is entirely possible that you won't see a Mountainhome Caravan for anywhere up to 3 years. Migrants may be even more rare. On the plus side, though, no hostile nations should bother you for a while.
Starting on a Glacier
Take a lot of wood, food and drink. Consider bringing extra domestic animals (dogs are recommended) as an emergency food source, and/or to jumpstart a long-term breeding program.
Dump your wood cutter and Axe in favour of another Miner and Pick. Alternatively, find a Glacier near a forested Taiga and enjoy the best of both worlds.
Ice is everywhere. So read up on it before you make any major plans.
Some Hints and Ideas
Flowing sources of water, such as rivers or brooks, don't ever seem to be present in glacier biomes. So getting water for wounded dwarves may prove a challenge. Ice that is underground melts, so anything which causes ice 'stone' to be brought underground will create water. Perhaps most easily, instructing a dwarf to build an ice wall just under an underhang will result in water right where you designated. (Might want to channel first so the water doesn't rush outside and freeze).
Aquifers are sometimes present, and magma can be used to melt ice - if that's present. Seaside glaciers can allow you to bring some water in underground, but desalinating the water will be necessary before it is drinkable by dwarfs (or even before it can be designated as a water zone for filling ponds).
Some glacier biomes have such low temperatures that your dwarves may die during winter when above ground. Once you've got an inside area, don't go out into the cold...
Oddities
- When digging down through the ice, up-stairs exposed to the surface (as is the case when digging straight down) have a tendency to disappear, possibly due to the heat from the stone below. This can be avoided by digging ramps. v0.28.181.40d
- Excavating the bottom layer of ice will leave stone floors rather than ice floors. Building and removing a construction, however, will change the floor into a random type of soil, possibly sand. The type of soil is constant for a given biome. v0.28.181.40d
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