The mass transfer on an ice surface was measured using a groove decay technique on (0001) plane and <1010> direction at −10° C. The evaporation–condensation and viscous flow terms in Mullins’ theory were deduced from the change of decay constant as a function of groove wavelength between 16 and 80 μm. A viscous flow term contributes the most to groove decay while an evaporation–condensation term contributes up to 31.5% of the mass transfer for the shortest wavelength measured and other terms were found to be negligible. Large discrepancies between the decay constants obtained from the measurements and constants calculated from theory indicate that other mechanisms not considered in Mullins’ theory may be responsible for the groove decay.

An investigation has been made on the amounts and composition of gases enclosed in West Greenland glaciers ranging from the Thule area near lat. 77° N. to Brede Fjord at lat. 62° N. In general, the gas composition deviated appreciably from that of air, and also varied within each piece of ice. Presumably these variations are caused by melting either in the firn area, or, more often, at the outlet sites. 13C analyses indicate that organic contamination of the snow may be another factor. Undisturbed ancient atmospheric air was therefore not encountered in our Greenland samples, but indications are that it might be found in the much colder Antarctic ice sheet. Gas bubbles analyzed from crack fills in icebergs had high oxygen concentrations, sometimes almost matching that of air-equilibrated ice-cold water, from which they undoubtedly originated. Blue icebergs, which often were seen floating up from the bottom of glacier fronts, also tended toward high oxygen concentration and very likely, therefore, are caused by freezing of melt water seeping down and collecting underneath the glacier.

A 10 m deep core and a 2 m pit were achieved in December 1977 on the ice cap of James Ross Island (Antarctic Peninsula) 3 km westward of the main dome at an altitude of 1 500 m. The 10 m temperature was −14.2°C. The core was cut into 106 samples which have been used for density, total β radioactivity, electroconductivity, and deuterium-content measurements. The age at the bottom of the bore hole has been estimated to be 1 965±1 year and a mean annual snow accumulation rate 37.7±3.0 g cm−2 a−1 is calculated over the last 13 years. By comparing our results with those obtained in other areas of the Peninsula, the climate of the upper part of James Ross Island seems to follow the climatic regime of the western coast. A preliminary chemical analysis of the pit samples leads us to conclude that the snow impurities are mainly sea-salt derived. The conductivity measurements show a clearly defined peak at the end of 1967 which could be linked with the volcanic eruption of the Deception Island volcano in December 1967. The interest of the studied location is discussed in view of further more extended glaciological investigations and particularly a possible coring to the bottom.

Over 30% of Alaska’s 586 400 squares miles (1 518900 km2) is subject to snow-avalanche activity. For a state-wide avalanche hazard evaluation, Alaska has been divided into six major snow— avalanche regions on the basis of topography, climatological data, dominant snow—pack conditions, and typical avalanche activity. They are: Arctic Slope, Brooks Range, Western, Interior, South—central, and South—east.

Mountainous terrain was studied at scales of 1 : 250 000 and 1 : 1 584000; final compilation was at a scale of 1 : 2 500 000. Regional snow—pack and climatic conditions were cross—correlated with relief zonation of each avalanche region to produce a map of Alaska's provisional snow—avalanche potential.

Most of the mountainous areas in the South—central and South—east regions, because of their northern latitude, closeness to large masses of water, and large orographic and cylonic weather processes, are susceptible to major avalanche activity. For areas near population centers, the potential avalanche terrain has been identified from data on known and suspected avalanche activity through air photographs, terrain analysis, and documented snow—avalanche occurrences compiled at scales of 1 : 250 000 and 1 : 63 360.

The state—wide regional data compilation and study are initial steps toward avalanche zoning in Alaska. Local land—use planning and detailed investigations are needed to establish effective natural—hazard zoning in municipal areas as related to snow avalanche activity.

Observations have been made in one of several deep holes drilled in Salmon Glacier in the course of mining development. Surveys, particularly of the displacement of a 481.5 m. length of pipe in this hole over a 94 day period, show movement diminishing downward from a maximum value of 0.225 m./day at the surface, through a slightly lower value at mid depth to 45 per cent of this value at the bottom of the pipe. By extrapolation movement on the glacier floor, 490 m. below the surface, is believed to be about 44 per cent of the surface rate. The data closely approximate Nye’s (1952) theoretical formula for laminar flow:

in which u0=78 m./yr., α=2°00′, n=2.8 and K=1.25×10−4. Maximum shear stress at the glacier floor is calculated to be about 1.42 bars.

A dynamic constitutive law is used to study the response of medium-density snow to shock waves. The results show good correlation between theory and experiment, except for low-intensity shocks which produce small permanent density changes. In this case the validity of the data is questioned, although further experimental work is needed to settle this question. The results of this work also partially explain why snow is so effective in absorbing energy associated with stress waves. This is felt to be due to the work-hardening characteristics of snow.

Striated ground was found above 3 600 m elevation in the Páramo de La Culata, Pico Espejo and Pico Bolívar areas of the central Venezuelan Andes. This ground, formed by nocturnal freezing and diurnal thawing of the contained water, consisted of aligned lumps of fine to coarse sand, separated by small discontinuous channels (1–3 cm wide). Sorting was observed in the form of pebble-rich and pebble-poor zones. Striated ground in the process of formation showed that needle ice filled the channels before thawing. Lack of sorting is an indication of very recent formation, probably the previous night. The orientation of the striae is compared with the wind direction. This indicates that the formation of needle ice in the ground reflects the direction of the freezing wind, producing striae orientated in that direction, thus supporting Troll’s (1944) original observations.

Sample collection and field studies of sea ice take place under harsh conditions which, combined with the logistical difficulties and high cost of voyages to the polar regions, limits the abilities of researchers to determine its properties. Observations of laboratory-grown sea ice can help quantify important sea-ice properties and incorporate them into numerical models. The growth of laboratory sea ice requires experimental set-ups that consider the complexity of sea-ice growth. Regulation and monitoring of environmental variables allow for growth and melt conditions to be controlled, manipulated and reproduced. Facilities thus vary widely because of differing research objectives. This paper presents a summary of some of the published sea-ice laboratories that study the physical properties of sea ice and an overview of their major design considerations, such as tank size, freezing method and instrumentation. It also discusses how these design considerations were implemented in the set-up of the new sea-ice growth laboratory at the Marine and Antarctic Research for Innovation and Sustainability. This paper should guide others in designing their facilities as well as in their understanding of other facilities for results comparison.

Qualitative inspection of the results of the 1971/72 S.P.R.I.-N.S.F. Antarctic radio-echo sounding programme shows that it is possible to infer some characteristics of the lower face of the ice from the form of received echoes. We confirm the existence of lakes of liquid water beneath the east Antarctic ice by inspection of the top and bottom surface gradients of the ice, and suggest that basal melting occurs over a wide area in this region.

Quantitative studies in Devon Island indicate that small-scale irregularities in the bedrock are characterized by slopes of about 1: 40, with some higher gradients present, possibly indicating the presence of morainal boulders. We deduce that a geological boundary was crossed between 25 and 40 km west of the base camp, the rock to the west of the boundary having lower permittivity, and higher surface slopes than that to the east.

The question of the usefulness of the spatial fading of the echo in deducing surface characteristics is briefly discussed. We conclude that measurements of the fading are indeed useful, especially in the case of echoes with short “tails”.

An attempt is made to throw some light on the physical processes in the development of penitentes as a result of new observations in Peru and a study of the literature. This paper offers a variety of approaches to the problem rather than any final view or theory, and is therefore mostly suggestive and intended to be a program for further, more detailed research.

Annual net balance eight North Cascade glaciers during the 1984-94 period has been determined by measurement of total mass loss firn and ice melt and ice melt and, residual snow depth at the end of the Summer season. Overall spatial density of measurment points is 200 points km−2. Mean annual balance of North Clascade glaciers from 1984 to 1994 has been −0.38 ma−1. The resulting 4.2 m loss in water-equivalent thickness is significant, since North Cascade glaciers have an average thickness of 30–50 m.

Cross-correlation of annual net balance Ior eight glaciers ranges from 0.83 to 0.97. This indicates the mass balances of the eight glaciers have been responding similarly to elimate conditions despite their range of topographic and geographic characteristics. Annual net balance of individual glaciers was correlated with climate records. The highest ablation-season correlation coefficient is mean May–August temperature, ranging from 0.63 to 0.84. The highest accumulation-season correlation coefficient is total accumulation-season precipitation, ranging from 0.35 to 0.59.

The propagation of pressure waves in low-density snow is investigated analytically to determine the variation of wave pressure and wave speed with density and frequency. The results show that, for pressure waves that produce finite volumetric deformations, both pressure jump across the wave and wave-speed increase with initial density and final density. The pressure jump was also found to increase with the wave frequency if other parameters were held constant, although the dependence on frequency is not as strong as the dependence on the initial and final densities. The relationship between pressure jump and frequency implies that high-frequency waves would tend to dissipate more quickly than lower-frequency waves, although like pressure, the attenuation rate would not be strongly frequency dependent.

The effects of past glaciation in what is now Australian territory were first recognized on Macquarie Island, probably by David Ramsay, in 1821. The recognition by Darwin in 1836, and reporting by Milligan in 1848 of ice-transported pebbles and boulders in late Palaeozoic marine rocks in Tasmania, showed on the one hand participation in and on the other familiarity with the controversy in Great Britain at that time on the origin of erratics and drift currents. Reports by Clarke (1852), Daintree in 1859, Selwyn (1860), and Gould (1860) of the effects of land ice on Mount Koscuisko (New South Wales), Bacchus Marsh (Victoria), Inman Valley (South Australia), and the Central Highlands (Tasmania), respectively, reflect the increasing recognition in Great Britain of the erosional and depositional effects of glaciers. Daintree, Selwyn, and Gould were all closely connected with A.C. Ramsay, the main British protagonist of the glacial theory at the time, whereas David Ramsay and Milligan were probably influenced by Robert Jameson of Edinburgh.

A database of difficult-to-forecast natural persistent deep slab avalanches was analyzed to determine thresholds for parameters that contribute to their release in western Canada. The database included avalanche observations and weather station data. The avalanches were grouped based on their primary cause-of-release, either precipitation loading, wind loading, solar warming or air temperature warming using a multivariate classification tree, which first split using a solar warming parameter. The precipitation group had a median 24 h snowfall of 15 cm and 3 d snowfall of 38 cm at weather stations, mostly at or below treeline. These amounts were likely closer between 20–30 and 50–80 cm at alpine start zones. The wind loading group experienced the most wind-transported snow potential. The solar warming group had predicted solar warming of 5.2°C, 10 cm into the snowpack, on the days of release. The air temperature warming group experienced the highest median maximum air temperature (5°C) on the days of release. These thresholds may be useful to forecast the likelihood of similar avalanches with experienced-based forecasting or with decision aids, although many false alarms are possible. A companion paper, Part II, relates weather model data to avalanche occurrences.

The thermodynamics of phase equilibrium control the temperature distribution around the ice particles in wet snow. When the snow is stressed, pressure melting occurs at the inter-particle contacts and the snow densifies. Densification is described by a physical model which simulates the heat flow, meltwater flow, and particle geometry. The effects of ionic impurities, liquid saturation, and particle size are demonstrated. Typical values of the temperature difference, inter-particle film size, and density are calculated as functions of time. The calculated rates of compaction are too large, hence, at some later time, the effects of simultaneous grain growth must be added to the model.