The temperature in the ablation area of Athabasca Glacier is about —0.5°C at a depth of 10 m. Below 17 m the temperature is slightly below the calculated pressure melting point (average difference 0.01 deg) in some places. Heat produced by ice deformation is calculated as a function of depth in two bore holes. Only in about the lower half of the glacier thickness is this heat sufficient to maintain the ice at the observed temperature as the hydrostatic pressure is reduced by ablation. Freezing of water within the ice must provide heat for this purpose elsewhere in the glacier; it must also provide heat to maintain the deeper ice close to the melting point even though the 10 m temperature is negative. The minimum water content needed is estimated to be between 0.5 and 1%. It is argued that most of this water must be water trapped between grains when the ice formed from firn. The small difference from the pressure melting temperature measured below 17 m probably arises either from impurities or because, as a result of heat supplied for pressure-melting of ice around air bubbles, the ice is at the melting point corresponding to the bubble pressure rather than to the hydrostatic pressure.

The generalized Glen’s law έ = έ0Tn exp (kθ ) is used to calculate die horizontal and vertical velocity profiles and from these the temperature and age profiles of cold ice sheets. It is shown that, by substituting for θ a function increasing linearly with height, velocity profiles for all ice sheets are obtained which represent excellent approximations to the true ones, since, above a critical height he where the deviation from linearity becomes large, the influence of temperature on ice flow becomes negligible. In a comparison of the present theory with Robin’s (1955) treatment a larger temperature difference ΔT of up to 30% is obtained. Furthermore the present theory yields an age considerably increased compared with Nye’s model; e.g. more than 50% at a relative height of h\H = 0·1.

The analysis of steady-state flow over bedrock perturbations of Budd(1970[a]) is extended to evaluate the stress variations associated with the flow. In particular the four separate terms of the fundamental one-dimensional (longitudinal) stress equation (Budd,1968) are examined to show explicitly how the longitudinal stress gradient G, the base stress τ, the surface slope stress s, and the integrated second derivative of the shear stress T all vary over-a given wave.

The result shows an error of a factor of 2 in some earlier studies relating longitudinal stress variations to the slope. This error resulted from the erroneous assumption that remains constant at its regional value. In fact the basal stress varies over the undulations in a similar way to the longitudinal stress gradient, and this is the same as the surface slope stress for long waves, but for short waves or less) requires the addition of the fourth term T, which then becomes dominant.

Results art, presented of spectral analyses of the surface and bedrock profiles along a flow line of the Wilkes ice cap and the surface along the Greenland E.G.I.G. profile. Although the bedrock appears irregular over all was velengths studied, the ice-cap surface is typically characterized by a smooth curve with small-scale surface undulations superimposed on it. The following relations of Budd (1969, 19701 are confirmed. The “damping factor" or ratio of the bedrock amplitude to the surface amplitude is a minimum for wavelengths λ about 3.3 times the ice thickness. The surface lags the bed in the direction of motion by λ/4. The magnitude of the minimum damping factor φm is typically least near the coast, and increases inland depending on the ice thickness Z, the velocity V, and the mean ice viscosity η (which is a function of stress and temperature) according to

where p is the mean ice density and g is the gravitational acceleration. Thus the determination of the damping factors provides a valuable means of estimating the ice flow parameter η.

A temperate glacier is defined as a glacier containing liquid inclusions in which the concentration of salts is not too high. Nevertheless these salts suffice to produce a depression in temperature comparable with that due 10 the pressure, and much greater than that due to interfacial energies. Because of this a large part of the liquid water present in the ice is not mobile, contrary to the theory of Nye and Frank. Deformation and recrystallization is bound to close off capillary intergranular channels, for glacier ice is usually impermeable. An explanation is given of why firn, at a depth which the annual cold wave does not reach, is nevertheless transformed relatively suddenly into practically impermeable ice. Saline inclusions will migrate with a velocity inversely proportional to the potential temperature (difference from the melting point of pure ice at the pressure in question) and proportional to the gradient of this potential temperature. This velocity, the salinity, the liquid water content, and the ice temperature, parameters which are all functions of the depth, are calculated for a steady state in a stagnant or moving glacier. Under the action of anisotropic stresses, isolated inclusions perpendicular to the maximum compressive stress will enlarge at the expense of their neighbours. If however the two inclusions are connected by a capillary channel, no enlargement occurs, but instead the salt content decreases, evacuated to the other inclusion. This process would constitute an objection to the theory of glacier sliding by melting and refreezing around small obstacles, unless new subglacial mechanisms were to occur.

Testing of a water-balance equation for the Summit Lake basin in July and August 1968 indicated that, 2½ months before its fourth known draining, there existed a leak through or under the damming glacier that may have been as large as 3–5 m3/s. Lake temperatures recorded during the same period indicate water at 0.5–0.8°C near the ice dam and up to 2.6°C 4–5 km from the dam. These observations support the proposal of Liestøl (1956) and Mathews (in press) of tunnel enlargement by melting. It is calculated that lake water temperatures of 0.25, 0.9 and 0.15°C are required to account for the November 1965, September 1967 and November 1968 drainings, respectively.

The movement at a marginal location on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, northern Ellesmere Island, was determined by repeated survey measurements with theodolite and geodimeter. The purpose and duration of the field work, and reduction of the observational data are described, and the resulting mean ice velocity of 0.53 m year-1 is discussed. Strain-rates of a 1 km by 1 km deformation figure are determined. The parameters n and B of Glen’s power flow law are determined by using the equations given by Nye and Weertman. The results are compared with experimental data. Computed ice stresses show that the “ridge-and-trough" structure on the ice shelf surface is not originated by internal ice forces. The elevations of all survey markers have been determined from vertical-angle measurements, and the peculiarities of atmospheric refraction in near-surface layers are discussed.

The value of the basal shear stress is derived for two-dimensional and three-dimensional cirque glaciers. It is assumed that a cirque glacier moves primarily by a rigid-body rotation over a bed of cylindrical or spherical shape. In the region of maximum ice thickness the new value of the basal shear stress is only about one half that derived from equations in common use in the literature. The new expression for the basal shear stress of a cirque glacier is used to correct a data point in Paterson’s recent compilation of measured sliding velocities and basal shear stresses of glaciers.

“Weakest link” theories predict that the brittle fracture of snow is inherently a statistical problem. The probability of failure of snow in centrifugal tensile tests is shown to be a function of σ/σm where σ is the applied stress and σm is a characteristic strength (a maximum strength) which is a function of density ρ alone. Similar probabilities of failure are obtained for measurements at Alta, Utah, and Berthoud Pass, Colorado where the characteristic strength is obtained from the relationship .

A record of sedimentation from pro-glacial sandur deposits through pro-glacial lake deposits to final deposition of till is used to interpret changing environmental conditions, and depositional processes, during the development of the “Little Welsh Advance” in the Shrewsbury area, England. The relationship between lacustrine sediments and till establishes till deposition by flowage. However, the most important conclusions are derived from the deduction that lacustrine sediments were incorporated into the basal part of the ice sheet and transported across previously deposited end moraines. A discussion of this deduction, based on the findings of Weertman (1961), establishes that during the advancing phase the ice sheet was of the polar type. Final melting is thought to have occurred by both top-melt and under-melt as a result of climatic amelioration.

Recent observations on Bjornbo Gletscher (lat. 71°., long. 25° W.), East Greenland, have revealed that it has several features characteristic of a surging glacier. One outstanding feature is the occurrence of drop-like ice masses in the lower part of the glacier which do not appear to belong to the main glacier. A detailed petrographic comparison between the morainic debris surrounding these drop-like ice masses and the rocks occurring in the upper part of the glacier has been made. The results indicate that these drop-like ice masses have been inserted into the main glacier. This drop-like form is explained as being due to ice transport from the side valleys, and this occurred over a short period of time during the movement (or surge) of the main glacier. Because of the highly variable rock types occurring in the respective accumulation zones, petrographic examinations of other moraines in the ablation zone have been used to trace them back to their respective firn fields.

The main glacier and the tributary glaciers are today static. Bjørnbo Gletscher is therefore characterized by both static and moving phases, and its dynamics are the same as those of surging glaciers. The quiescent phase is estimated to have been about 100 years. The next surge will presumably occur around 1990,

A method for the determination of the three-dimensional velocity field in a glacier is described, Measurements in three or more bore holes arranged in an appropriate array are needed for its application. Surface motion measured by triangulation and tape measure, bore-hole profiles given by inclinometry, and the geometry of the bed are all considered simultaneously in order to determine the velocity field. The basic assumption is that velocity between the bore holes can be represented by suitable interpolation based on the measurements in the holes. Ice displacement parallel to bore holes is calculated indirectly from incompressibility and the constraint that velocity normal to the bed be zero. As an example, the method is applied to an array of 9 bore holes in Athabasca Glacier.

Surface deformations in the neighborhood of a crevasse field were measured over short (3 m) gage lengths in order to study flow conditions associated with crevasse formation. The results obtained were unusual in that they were inconsistent with large-scale results found by previous workers. It was concluded that the presence of small-scale surface effects, such as fractures, pot-holes and healed crevasses give rise to small-scale deformation fields with large spatial and temporal variations and that there is a lower limit of gage length below which deformation measurements pertinent to regional (low phenomena cannot be made. This lower limit is apparently an order of magnitude greater than the spacing of the features which give rise to localized effects.

Measurements of ice deformation at the surface and at depth in the Athabasca Glacier, Canada, reveal for the first time the pattern of flow in a nearly complete cross-section of a valley glacier, and make it possible to test the applicability of experimental and theoretical concepts in the analysis of glacier flow. Tilting in nine bore holes (eight holes essentially to the bottom at depth about 300 m) was measured with a newly developed electrical inclinometer. The new instrument permitted bore-hole configurations to be determined with greater speed and accuracy than possible with earlier methods. The measurements define the distribution of the velocity vector and the strain-rate tensor over about 70% of the area of the glacier cross-section.

The main longitudinal component of flow has the following general features: (1) basal sliding velocity which exceeds 70% of the surface velocity over half of the width of the glacier, (2) marginal sliding velocity (not more than a few meters per year) much less than basal sliding velocity at the center-line (about 40 m a-1), (3) marginal shear strain-rate near the valley walls two to three times larger than the basal shear strain-rate near the center-line (0.1 a-1).

The observed longitudinal flow is significantly different from that expected from theoretical analysis of flow in cylindrical channels (Nye, 1965). The relative strength of marginal and basal shear strain-rate is opposite to that expected from theory. In addition, the longitudinal flow velocity averaged over the glacier cross-section (which determines the flux of ice transported) is larger by 12% than the average flow velocity seen at the glacier surface, whereas it would be essentially the same if the theoretical prediction were correct. These differences are caused to a large extent by the contrast between the actual distribution of sliding velocity and the constant sliding velocity for which the theoretical analysis holds. The observed relation between marginal and basal sliding velocity is probably a general flow feature in valley glaciers, and may be caused by lateral variation of water pressure at the ice-rock contact. The observed pattern of longitudinal velocity over the section also shows in detail certain additional features incompatible with the theoretical treatment, even after the difference in boundary conditions (distribution of sliding velocity) is taken into account.

Longitudinal strain-rate (a compression of about 0.02 a-1 at the surface) decreases with depth, becoming nearly o at the bed in the center of the glacier, which confirms a prediction by Savage and Paterson (1963). The depth variation cannot be explained completely by overall bending of the ice mass as a result of a longitudinal gradient in the curvature of the bed, and is at variance with existing theories, which require the longitudinal strain-rate to be constant with depth.

Motion transverse to the longitudinal flow occurs in a roughly symmetric pattern of diverging margin-ward flow, with most of the lateral transport occurring at depth in a fashion reminiscent of extrusion flow. The observed lateral velocities averaged over depth (up to 1.9 m a-1) are compatible with the lateral flux required to maintain equilibrium of the marginal portions of the glacier surface under ablation (about 3.7 m of ice per year) and are driven by the convex lateral profile of the ice surface.

Measurements of widths, diameters and boulder sizes of patterned ground in the Cairngorm Mountains indicate two sorts of stripes and polygons (fine and coarse). Pipkrake and boulder-inclination observations and measurements suggest that fine polygons are produced by heave and their sizes are dependent upon the frequency of boulders large enough to be resistant to heave, which in turn depends upon climatic severity. The lack of orientation, angle of boulder inclination, hemispherical shape, high relative size dispersion and lithological dependence of coarse polygons indicate a selective weathering origin. The frequency of low inclination of boulders in stripes suggests an origin due to solifluction, whereby large immobile or relatively slower-moving boulders impede soil (and smaller boulder) movements and control stripe spacing. Movement observation and lichenometry indicate that fine polygons and stripes and bare coarse polygons are active at the present time and that coarse stripes and vegetated coarse polygons probably date from the Little Ice Age.

The north-west margin of the main ice cap in south-western Ellesmere Island is fringed by ice-cored moraines. The formation of these moraines seems to be more complex than simple upwarping of the foliation bands at the margin of the ice cap. At one locality, where outer and inner zones can be distinguished on the basis of lithological composition, debris in the outer zone is composed of material from farther back under the ice cap than debris in the inner zone. In another locality, localized ridges cross each other independently of the trend of the main ridge.

The time required to obtain the quantity of debris forming the moraine at the ice surface is estimated to be between 65 and 300 years.

A further development of the Howorka steam-operated ice drill is given. It is mounted on a pack frame for easy transportation in rugged terrain. A propane flame is used to vaporize water in a single-pass fire-tube boiler. The steam is delivered to the ice through a double-walled flexible hose and a straight guide tube with an exchangeable nozzle at the end. One hole, 25 mm in diameter and 8 m deep, can be drilled in 15 min; four such holes can be drilled with one tank of water and 10 with one tank of propane. Holes deeper than 16 m are impractical as heat losses in the hose become too large. Sturdy construction has been used and the drill has been tested and found to work satisfactorily under both temperate and arctic conditions.

Untersteincr and Nye (1968) calculated the possible future movement of Berendon Glacier, B.C. These calculations are repeated using much improved data and a slightly different method for computing the datum state. The predictions that result are very similar to those found in the earlier work. It is concluded, however, from mass-balance data, that the chance of the glacier rising sufficiently in the next 25 years to be a danger to the mining installations situated near the snout of the glacier is much greater than was previously considered. The sensitivity of the theory to changes in input data is discussed.

A light-weight solid-state electronic distance meter was used to measure short-term ice velocities during a two-day interval on the Coleman Glacier at Mt Baker, Washington, U.S.A. The velocities fluctuated rapidly from zero or almost zero to a large fraction of a meter per day. There was little or no correlation between the movement at different stations and the fluctuations masked any diurnal variation if such existed. The ease of obtaining the results demonstrates the utility of the new equipment for extending the possibilities of glaciological research.

Oxygen-isotope and chlorinity determinations, as well as petrographie observations, indicate that the basement we of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf is largely composed of a unique brackish ice, which interdigitates with sea ice. Some iced firn occurs near the top of the Basement Ice, below an unconformity.

stratification in brackish and sea ice represents annual increments to the bottom of the ice shelf The c-axis vertical orientation and small-angle grain-boundary relations in brackish ice are explained by nucleation and floating of ice dendrites from the undercooled brackish water zone to the bottom of the ice shelf, where they attach themselves sub-parallel to the plane of the undersurface.

Ice island T-3 did not come from a break-up of the main part of the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, but probably originated in a nearby area to the west.