Another expedition was planned to Mount Whitney (14,506 ft.), highest point in the United States of America, and the following letters were received:
“Dear Dr. Church, 10 Nov. 1951
Kehrlein, Gene Serr, Tarble, and I were on the summit of Whitney from about 18 to 22 July. It was a stimulating experience. We haven’t worked up all our data yet, but I am fully convinced that evaporation, even at high elevations, is a small fraction of the ablation, being greatly exceeded by melt….
Walter Wilson.”
“Dear Doctor, January 14, 1952
The report on our work on Whitney is being carefully worked up by Walter Wilson for the Transactions. Yes, you are right. Our experiment will represent conditions during the summer melting period. It showed about 90 per cent. melting and the balance pretty well equalized between condensation and evaporation. I would hate to spend a long period on Whitney’s summit on any experiment—it stormed most of the time we were there, continuous high winds, rain, sleet and cold with frequent enough lightning to keep us on edge, most inhospitable….
[European research on this subject includes works by: Lüitschg, O. Ueber Niederschlag und Abfluss im Hochgebirge, Schw. Wasserwirtschaftsverband, Verbandschrift No. 14. Zürich, 1926, p. 310 et seq. Odell, N. E. Ablation at high altitudes and under high solar incidence. Am. Journ. Sei., Vol. 239, 1941, p. 379-82. Troll, C. Schmelzung and Verdunstung von Eis and Schnee in ihrem Verhältnis zur geographischen Verbreitung der Ablationaformen. Erdkunde, Bd. 3, Ht. 1, 1949, p. 18–29.—Ed.]
