It has recently come to our knowledge that in some quarters the word “Glaciology” is understood to mean the study of glaciers and that alone.
This is incorrect. The word is derived from the Latin glacies—ice, and has always been intended to cover every form of ice. The first definition of the word that we can find appears in the Oxford Dictionary as “The scientific treatment of ice or glaciers”. The Dictionary quotes Nation (New York) 29 December 1892, p. 492, col. 2, “already this suggestion finds favour among some of our leaders in glaciology”. Used in this broad sense the word appears in Charcot’s Expédition Antarctique Française (1903–05), and in Shackleton’s The heart of the Antarctic (1909).
In Wright and Priestley’s Glaciology, written to record the results of the British (Terra Nova) Antarctic Expedition 1910–13, but only published in 1922, every form of snow and ice is dealt with under the single heading—“Glaciology”. This title included chapters dealing with “snow and its derivatives”, “ice crystals formed from vapour”, “crystalline structure of ice”, “glacier motion”,“classification of land-ice formations”, “ice formations of an advanced stage of the glacial cycle”, “structure of glaciers”, “fast-ice“, “pack-ice”, “icebergs”, “causes of glacierization”, etc.
Sir Charles Wright, co-author of the above, has written to us in confirmation of this: “To me from the beginning glaciology was the study of ice in all its forms… I think it will be a great pity if ‘Glaciology’ is restricted to glaciers and I hope you can scotch this heresy.”
In recent times Professor P. A. Shumskiy in his Principles of structural glaciology (Kraus’ translation) 1955, writes to the effect that the tendency to call glaciology the study of glaciers is incorrect “since the word, derived from the Latin, means the study of ice, consequently the study of ice in general and not just glaciers”.
Professor R. Finsterwalder, President of the Committee on Snow and Ice of the International Association of Scientific Hydrology, writes that he and his colleagues agree with us that “Glaciology” includes every form of ice and snow from the time of snowfall until it disappears.
Naturally some aspects of ice overlap into pure physics, into meteorology, into geology and into other sciences, but this does not alter what has been stated above.
Professor F. Debenham, one of the best known authorities on these matters, writes “It seems curious that some people should persist in a narrow connotations…”
Professor P. L. Mercanton, formerly of the Swiss Glacier Commission, who also speaks with great authority and life-long experience, writes that he is horrified by this “new restricted use of the term”.
It is puzzling to know how this false definition arose, particularly in view of the fact that this Society, which can claim some authority in these matters, has, from its early days, covered in its Journals and at its meetings, every form of ice.
It is to be hoped that the evidence and opinions cited above will be accepted in the very few quarters where there has been this recent deviation.
