Previously, it was shown that the reduction in peak stress of single crystal ice at −20°C due to H2SO4, Δσ, could be described by Δσ = kC1/2, where C is the sulfuric acid concentration and k is a constant. Here we show that the strength reduction due to H2SO4 is more general and that the reduction is greater as the temperature decreases. Δσ was again found to be proportional to C1/2 at −10°C, but k at −10°C was significantly less than at −20°C.

Supraglacial lakes on grounded regions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets sometimes produce ‘lake ogives’ or banded structures that sweep downstream from the lakes. Using a variety of remote-sensing data, we demonstrate that lake ogives originate from supraglacial lakes that form each year in the same bedrock-fixed location near the equilibrium-line altitude. As the ice flows underneath one of these lakes, an ‘image’ of the lake is imprinted on the ice surface both by summer-season ablation and by superimposed ice (lake ice) formation. Ogives associated with a lake are sequenced in time, with the downstream ogives being the oldest, and with spatial separation equal to the local annual ice displacement. In addition, lake ogives can have decimeter- to meter-scale topographic relief, much like wave ogives that form below icefalls on alpine glaciers. Our observations highlight the fact that lake ogives, and other related surface features, are a consequence of hydrological processes in a bedrock-fixed reference frame. These features should arise naturally from physically based thermodynamic models of supraglacial water transport, and thus they may serve as fiducial features that help to test the performance of such models.

Grand Pacific and Melbern Glaciers, two of the largest valley glaciers in British Columbia, have decreased over 50% in volume in the last few hundred years (total ice loss = 250–300 km3). Melbern Glacier has thinned 300–600 m and retreated 15 km during this period; about 7 km of this retreat occurred between the mid-1970s and 1987, accompanied by the formation of one of the largest, presently existing, ice-dammed lakes on Earth. Grand Pacific Glacier, which terminates in Tarr Inlet at the British Columbia-Alaska boundary, retreated 24 km between 1879 and 1912. This rapid deglaciation has destabilized adjacent mountain slopes and produced spectacular ice-marginal land forms. The sediments and land forms produced by historic deglaciation in Melbern–Grand Pacific valley are comparable, both in style and scale, to those associated with the decay of the Cordilleran ice sheet at the end of the Pleistocene (c. 14–10 ka BP). Rates of historic and terminal Pleistocene deglaciation also may be comparable.

Numerous ice-sheet reconstructions of the last glacial cycle have been proposed, however due to limited geological evidence, reconstructing older Northern Hemisphere ice sheets remains a difficult exercise. Here we focus on the penultimate glacial maximum (PGM; ~140 ka BP) over the Northern Hemisphere. While some evidence of the PGM Eurasian ice-sheet extent were found, this is not the case for the corresponding Laurentide ice sheet. To improve the glaciological reconstructions of the PGM Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, we explore the parameter space of ice-sheet model uncertainties and carry out numerous univariate ice-sheet steady-state sensitivity simulations. We use two PGM climate simulations to force the ice-sheet model, differing in the prescribed Laurentide ice topography (small and large). The simulated Northern Hemisphere ice volume ranges from 124.7 to 152 m SLE when using the climate accounting for a small Laurentide ice sheet, which is compatible with global sea-level reconstructions of this period (−92 to −150 m). Conversely, using the climate simulation with a Laurentide ice sheet comparable in size to that of the last glacial maximum results in too large ice volumes. Changes in basal drag provide the upper bound ice volume of our experiments, whereas changes in the distribution of ice streams provide the lower bound.

The Kaskawulsh Glacier is an iconic outlet draining the icefields of the St. Elias Mountains in Yukon, Canada. We determine and attempt to interpret its catchment-wide mass budget since 2007. Using SPOT5/6/7 data we estimate a 2007–18 geodetic balance of −0.46 ± 0.17 m w.e. a−1. We then compute balance fluxes and observed ice fluxes at nine flux gates to examine the discrepancy between the climatic mass balance and internal mass redistribution by glacier flow. Balance fluxes are computed using a fully distributed mass-balance model driven by downscaled and bias-corrected climate-reanalysis data. Observed fluxes are calculated using NASA ITS_LIVE surface velocities and glacier cross-sectional areas derived from ice-penetrating radar data. We find the glacier is still in the early stages of dynamic adjustment to its mass imbalance. We estimate a committed terminus retreat of ~23 km under the 2007–18 climate and a lower bound of 46 km3 of committed ice loss, equivalent to ~15% of the total glacier volume.

Surface textures and angularity–roundness characteristics of quartz sand grains of till from the base of the Greenland ice sheet at Camp Century were examined with a scanning electron microscope. Two basic populations are revealed; an angular component, which shows grains with edge abrasion and attrition indicative of subglacial grinding, and a well-rounded component with the characteristics of aeolian transport. It is suggested that these two populations were mixed subglacially, the aeolian fraction having been produced at some stage before the ice sheet encroached over the area of their deposition.

Variations of snow surface and snowpack properties affect avalanche formation. In up to four north-facing slopes above the tree line near Davos, Switzerland, snow surface properties were characterized. Penetration resistance was measured with a snow micro-penetrometer. The sampling scheme was designed to allow a multi-scale approach covering the snowpack depth scale (0.5–5 m), the slope scale (5–100 m) and the basin scale (100–1000 m). Observations and measurements were compared to the data of a nearby automatic weather station (AWS). The AWS data were also used to model snow-cover stratigraphy and its evolution with the numerical snow-cover model SNOWPACK. Comparing the four slopes showed that surface properties observed manually were similar among the three slopes that were sheltered, and often different from the slope that was wind-exposed. However, the penetration resistance of the surface layer was in most cases significantly different among slopes, although most values were <0.1 N, indicating very low hardness. These seemingly contradictory results follow from the different measurement support of the two methods. It is presently unclear which amount of variation at a given scale is relevant for avalanche formation. The geostatistical analysis and an analysis aimed at identifying the causes of variability were not conclusive. No patterns emerged that would allow conclusions regarding the effect on avalanche formation. Finding the causes of variability seems to require high-resolution terrain and weather models that are presently not readily available.

Investigations were made of the ice structures, air-bubble size distributions, and heat exchanges of water drops frozen freely-floating in the purified air of a vertical wind tunnel. Drop diameters varied from 1 to 8 mm, air temperature from −1 to −18.5°C; the ice phase was initiated artificially. It was found that the mass of ice in a freezing drop increases linearly with time. Both mean air bubble and crystal sizes decrease in a regular fashion as the air temperature decreases, whereas the bubble concentration increases. Histograms show a preferred tangential orientation of the projections into the plane of observation of the crystallographic hexagonal axis (c′-axes), a preference which weakens as the temperature decreases.

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.

The differential equation determining the elevations of a perfectly plastic three-dimensional steady-state ice sheet is set up. Analytical solutions of the equation are obtained in two simple case, (1) an ice sheet on a horizontal base with an arbitrary edge curve, and (2) an ice sheet on a plane sloping base with a rectilinear ice margin. The solutions are discussed, particularly with reference to the development of ice divides and ice streams.

For arbitrary base and ice-margin geometries, solutions are obtained by means of the method of characteristics, which reduces the problem to solving simultaneously three ordinary first-order differential equations. The integration, which is performed by numerical methods, is generally commenced at the ice margin, where the necessary boundary conditions are known.

The method has been applied to model the elevation contours and the flow pattern of the central Greenland ice sheet, using the bottom topography revealed by radio echo soundings and the present ice margin geometry. The result is in surprisingly good agreement with our knowledge of the ice-sheet topography and flow pattern, all significant ice divides and ice streams being reproduced. This suggests, that the method can be applied to model the shape and flow pattern of ice sheets under glacial conditions, using information about former ice-margin positions.

This paper presents an original method for sampling special ice types like debris-rich ice or brittle ice that cannot be prepared using the standard band-saw/microtome procedure. The general working principles of the diamond wire-sawing technique are explained, and special adaptations for ice-cutting, thick-sectioning and thin-sectioning are discussed.

Almost continuous recordings of glacier seismicity were obtained on Unteraar-gletscher (Berner Oberland, Switzerland) over a period of two weeks at the end of May 1977. The seismograph array consisted of micro-earthquake recorders, some recording directly onto smoked paper (three Sprengnether model MEQ-800) and others recording onto magnetic tape (one MARS-72 apparatus and two seismic-event recorders). The frequency range covered by the instruments lies between 1 and 85 Hz. The array spanned a relatively crevasse-free area of about 500 m by 700 m.

At the beginning of the period of observation only a few events were recorded per hour. Probably as a consequence of increased run-off of melt and rain, which acted as a lubricant or as an agent of hydraulic fracturing within or beneath the glacier, the activity rose in two days to a maximum of 120 events in one hour, and then with minor fluctuations it gradually decreased again to its initial level. The variations in activity showed signs of correlating with the velocity measurements, which however were only started after the main maximum, but did not seem to be influenced by the uplift of the glacier surface or by the diurnal meteorological fluctuations.

Most of the recorded signals could be classified according to their frequency content into three groups: 40, 20, and 5 Hz. The 40 Hz events, whose duration was less than 1 s, are located near the glacier surface and probably correspond to those attributed by Neave and Savage (1970) to the formation of crevasses. The majority of the events were of the 20 Hz type, each of about 1 s duration. Due to inadequacies in the seismometer array, only three of them could be located with sufficient accuracy: they originated in different areas of the glacier at a depth of about 150 m, which is strong evidence that icequakes are not, as previously thought, limited to the upper 40 m. The signals of the 5 Hz type, lasting several seconds, are thought to be 20 Hz events whose higher frequencies have been attenuated by a longer travel path. The lower-frequency signals from the glacier bed, reported by Bindschadler (unpublished) and by Weaver and Malone (1979), were not observed. This could indicate that a variety of mechanisms are operative at different times of year. In particular, the subglacial conduits were only poorly developed in Unteraargletscher at the time of these recordings.

Advances in analytical methods have made it possible to obtain high-resolution water isotopic data from ice cores. Their spectral signature contains information on the diffusion process that attenuated the isotopic signal during the firn densification process. Here, we provide a tool for estimating firn-diffusion rates that builds on the Community Firn Model. Our model requires two main inputs, temperature and accumulation, and it calculates the diffusion lengths for δ17O, δ18O and δD. Prior information on the isotopic signal of the precipitation is not a requirement. In combination with deconvolution techniques, diffusion lengths can be used in order reconstruct the pre-diffusion isotopic signal. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the isotope diffusion and firn densification makes the diffusion length an interesting candidate as a temperature proxy. We test the model under steady state and transient scenarios and compare four densification models. Comparisons with ice core data provide an evaluation of the four models and indicate that there are differences in their performance. Combining data-based diffusion length estimates with information on past accumulation rates and ice flow thinning, we reconstruct absolute temperatures from three Antarctic ice core sites.

Oxygen-isotope ratios indicate that a distinctive band of white ice along the margin of the Barnes Ice Cap is of Pleistocene age. It is estimated freom a flow mogerl that beneath the center of the ice cap the thickness of the band shuuld be abont 0.6 times its thickness at the margin, or about 8 m. However, an ingerpengernt estimate, based on calculated vertical strain-rates and explicitly assuming no basal melting, predicts a thickness of about 22 m beneath the center of the ice cap. The discrepancy between the two thickness estimates is interpreted as indicating that basal melting has occurred. Calculated basal temperatures support this conclusion.

Force variations on a "ploughmeter" and fluctuations in subglacial water pressure have been measured in the same borehole at Storglaciaren, Sweden, to investigate hydraulic properties of the basal till layer. A strong inverse correlation of the pressure and force records, in conjunction with a significant lime lag between the two signals, suggests that pore-water pressures directly affect the strength of the till. Variations in sub-glacial water pressure result in potential gradients across the water till interlace at the bottom of the borehole that drive pressure waves downwards through the till layer when the borehole water level is high and back upwards when the water level is low. Analysis of the propagation velocity of this pressure wave indicates that the hydraulic diffusivity of Storglaciaren till is in the range 1.9−3.6 x 10−6m2s−1,in good agreement with estimates obtained in the laboratory. Hydraulic conductivity values associated with these difrusivities are between 10−9 and 10−8ms−1 and thus are well within the range of values for other glacial tills.

Uniaxial compression creep tests were performed on artificial and natural polycrystalline ices at temperatures near –7°C. The grain-size range investigated was from 1 to 10 mm. Contrary to previous results, the permanent creep-rate was not found to increase with crystal size. Only the transient creep appears to be sensitive to variations in crystal size.

Numerous features of glaciological significance appear on two adjoining SPOT High Resolution Visible (HRV) images that cover the onset region of Ice Stream B, Antarctica. Many small-scale features, such as crevasses and drift plumes, have been observed in aerial photography. Subtle large-scale features, such as long flow traces that have not been mapped previously, are clear in the satellite imagery. Newly discovered features include ladder-like runners and rungs within certain shear margins, flow traces that are parallel to ice flow, unusual crevasse patterns and flow traces originating within shear margins.

The heat conduction of ice single crystals is measured by a steady-state heat-flux method between 1.7 K and 100 K. For temperatures higher than 16 K all experimental points are found to be on the same curve. For temperatures lower than 16 K the heat conduction curves depend on the material of the crystallization vessel, the ageing of the sample and the cooling rate between the temperature of the mount (≈ 260 K) and liquid-nitrogen temperature. No anisotropy can be found for temperatures higher than 9 K. Computer fits are made, based on Callaway’s model of heat conduction in dielectric crystals. An attempt is made to explain the observed extrinsic heat conduction by the presence of microstructures in ice. It is shown that heat-conduction measurements can be used to establish a “quality-list” of samples studied in laboratories.

Accumulation studies along the lowermost 100 km of Jakobshavns Isbræ show that the local net balance above the equilibrium line (1210 m elevation in 1986) is significantly less than that measured along the EGIG line about 100 km further north. This indicates the presence of a precipitation low in this region which will affect any global mass-balance assessment for the Jakobshavns Isbræ drainage basin. Comparison of the estimated calving and ablation fluxes shows that calving removes about twice as much mass from this drainage basin as does melting. Basal melting over the entire basin accounts for about 20% of the total ice loss by ablation. Temperature measurements at 12 m depth along the same section of the Isbræ show the warming effects of refreezing meltwater and cooling effects of severe crevassing. In addition, there is a significant variation in temperature across the fast-moving ice stream which is probably caused by deformation heating in the shear margins which delineate the ice stream within the ice sheet. This lateral temperature gradient could be important in ice-stream dynamics through its effects on ice rheology. Detailed measurements within the percolation fades show that surface melt can penetrate up to 3 m by piping in cold firn, and, upon refreezing, can cause significant warming at these depths.