Information concerning the supply area of Morsárjökull, a small outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, was derived from a firn profile measured in a pit 6 m. deep.

The conspicuous bulge on the medial moraine is, by extrapolation from the annual movement, attributed to a former glacial recession between 1890 and 1900. This bulge is correlated with discontinuous moraines near the head of Skeidarárjökull.

Moraines indicating a former greater extension of the glacier are mentioned and evidence showing the recent rapid retreat and thinning of the glacier is presented.

Subglacial lake water-volume changes produce ice-elevation anomalies that provide clues about water flow beneath glaciers and ice sheets. Significant challenges remain in the quantitative interpretation of these elevation-change anomalies because the surface expression of subglacial lake activity depends on basal conditions, rate of water-volume change, and ice rheology. To address these challenges, we introduce an inverse method that reconstructs subglacial lake activity from altimetry data while accounting for the effects of viscous ice flow. We use a linearized approximation of a Stokes ice-flow model under the assumption that subglacial lake activity only induces small perturbations relative to a reference ice-flow state. We validate this assumption by accurately reconstructing lake activity from synthetic data that are produced with a fully nonlinear model. We then apply the method to estimate the water-volume changes of several active subglacial lakes in Antarctica by inverting data from NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2) laser altimetry mission. The results show that there can be substantial discrepancies (20% or more) between the inversion and traditional estimation methods due to the effects of viscous ice flow. The inverse method will help refine estimates of subglacial water transport and further constrain the role of subglacial hydrology in ice-sheet evolution.

We describe the annual pattern of frontal ablation driven by submarine melting mechanisms at the Hansbreen terminus: these are reflected in the intensity and spatial distribution of calving events. Analysis of time-lapse images of the Hansbreen front in conjunction with oceanographic and meteorological data shows that calving intensity is driven primarily by seawater temperature. Regression analysis also highlights the importance of air temperature, which we take to be a proxy for surface ablation and subglacial discharge. This, combined with seasonal changes in ice cliff tortuosity and the increasing significance of wave motion outside the ablation season, enabled us to determine seasonal changes in the mechanisms of ice cliff undercutting by submarine melting. While submarine melting controlled by estuarine circulation primarily drives frontal ablation in summer, wave-driven melting at the waterline is more important outside the ablation season. During winter, ice cliff undercutting by melting is suspended by low seawater temperature, negligible subglacial water discharge and sea-ice cover. The most intense frontal ablation, recorded in summer, was related to higher sea temperature and vigorous estuarine circulation.

A site situated close to the main divide of the Penny Ice Cap, Baffin Island was occupied in 1979 for the purpose of determining the suitability of this ice cap for providing proxy climatic data and other environmental time series for a span of 104 a. A 20 m core was extracted and analysed for stable oxygen isotopes, tritium concentration, pH, electrolytic conductivity, major ion concentrations, and particulate concentration. An adjacent dedicated shallow core was analysed for pollen content to determine if a significant seasonal variation in the pollen rain existed. From these measurements, and from the observations made on the stratigraphic character of the core, the mean net accumulation rate over the approximately 30 year period covered by the core is found to be about 0.43 m water equivalent per year. This is in agreement with a single value determined 26 years earlier at a nearby site (Ward and Baird, 1954). The mean annual temperature in the bore hole was found to be close to −14.4° C, possibly some 2–5 deg warmer than the expected mean annual surface air temperature at the site. This difference is due to the expulsion of latent heat upon freezing of melt water at depth in the snow-pack which gives rise to the many ice layers observed in the core. The percentage thickness of ice layers per year may be correlated with summer temperatures.

Total ice depths were measured using a 620 MHz radar echo-sounder. In the vicinity of the divide, over an area of 1 km2, the ice depths vary from about 460 to 515 m. These values compare favourably with values determined from an airborne radar depth-sounding flight carried out over the ice cap by a joint U.S.–Danish mission operating out of Søndre Strømfjord, Greenland. The data suggest that the ice-cap divide would be a worthwhile location to deep core drill with an expected useful coverage of at least the Holocene period.

This paper presents studies on crystal imperfections including basal and non-basal dislocations, small-angle grain boundaries, stacking faults, and dislocation networks in ice using both X-ray diffraction and Laue techniques; these studies examined the growth process or origin of the ice, i.e. ice from glaciers, ice grown from the melt, or ice formed by sublimation. Several hoar crystals were found to be perfect, dislocation-free crystals, this may be due to their very slow growth rate. Dislocations and Shockley-type stacking faults were observed in some crystals. Dislocation density of a hoar crystal is very large at the point at which it started to grow, but away from this region the density becomes so small that no dislocation can be seen. The arrangement and structure of dislocations around vapour figures were also studied by means of X-ray diffraction topography. It was found that the dislocation density is high along the periphery of the vapour hexagon and that the great majority of dislocations within the hexagon are running from its centre towards the vertices or sides of the hexagon. Long screw dislocations with Burgers vector c <0001> were observed in a tabular ice which was formed artificially at a very slight degree of supercooling. The behaviour of dislocations in ice subjected to a tensile stress was studied by the use of the divergent X-ray technique which gives both enlarged Laue spots and a transmission pattern in the same photograph.

Tourism in the Swiss Alpine region has developed rapidly in the last 20 years. Many new routes transport systems, and tourist resorts have appeared for which the planning and construction have inadequately considered the avalanche danger. The local authorities are responsible for the safety and welfare of the inhabitants and visitors. This is especially true with respect to land-use control and the issue of building permits. Since property values have risen considerably since the second World War, speculation in land that is not safe from hazard has become widespread. This speculation has led to numerous conflicts between property owners and the municipal government as well as between sellers and buyers of land which is later found to have an avalanche hazard. In Swiss law a legal basis is required to prohibit building in unsafe places. This basis did not exist in many Swiss cantons when these fateful developments began. This study will show how the legal basis for avalanche zoning has been developed at the federal, cantonal and communal levels and what the actual state of jurisdiction is. Of special interest are the “precedents” or “case law” which are presented and discussed in this paper. It also gives definitions of the terms “zone”, “avalanche zoning”, “avalanche hazard map”, and “avalanche zone plan”.

We report on laboratory experiments on the motion of powder-snow avalanches along a bent chute. The avalanches are simulated as turbulent boundary-layer flows of polystyrene particles in still water along a chute consisting of a straight inclined part, a curved part and a second, possibly inclined, run-out zone. An ultrasonic measuring technique is used to determine mean particle speeds (via the Doppler shift of the reflected signal) and the particle concentration (via the attenuation of the echoes). By ensemble averaging, individual turbulence effects are eliminated. As measuring procedures, profiles were determined for particle velocity and density across the boundary layer; these were taken (i) for the avalanche tail along the entire track, i.e. in the steep part and the run-out zone, and (ii) for the avalanche head in the run-out zone below the kink in the terrain. Moreover, time sections of velocity and density (i.e. time series at fixed positions along a line through the boundary layer) were recorded and the particle mass deposited in the various zones of the track was measured.

The analysis of the data reveals the following results: a concave change in the terrain topography acts as a very efficient mechanism for particle sedimentation, thus affecting particle concentration and velocity, and considerable reduction close to the ground, whereas the density is reduced throughout the depth, thus leading to a considerable reduction of dynamic pressure close to the ground and leaving it somewhat greater at higher altitudes. We conclude with practical considerations for the field glaciologist.

Observations of pulsating flow conditions in a supraglacier meltwater channel on Harlech Gletscher, East Greenland, are reported. Waves of water with turbulent wave fronts and smooth recessive limbs were observed passing downstream at regular intervals of 6-7 s. Peak channel discharge was estimated at 0.5-1.0 m3 s−1, in between which discharge was zero. It is suggested that the phenomenon as observed was due to the formation of roll waves in response to channel morphology and prevalent discharge conditions. Measurements of channel morphology are given together with calculations of critical flow conditions, supporting the hypothesis of roll waves in a natural ice channel. A brief introduction to roll waves and the theory regarding their formation is included.

The retreat of glaciers since 1927 in Cordillera Blanca has produced dangerous lakes at the front of many glaciers. All the known data, most of them unpublished, are reviewed. The known aluviones are listed, and those of Chavin, Quebrada Los Cedros and Artesoncocha described in full. In these three cases a breach in the front moraine came from big ice falls into the lake. The protective devices made on the outlets are described, as well as the effects of the big earthquake on 31 May 1970. In the case of Laguna Parón, which keeps its level thanks to infiltrations, the fluctuations of the discharge of the springs as related to the level of the lake from 1955 to 1969 are reported. The projects for lowering the level of Laguna Parón and for emptying Safuna Alta are described. The latter partially emptied in fact by piping after the earthquake, allowing a final solution.

In front of Laguna Parón there is a huge moraine which turns through 90° in the middle of the valley and with a narrow covered glacier on the top. It has been studied by electrical exploration, and using the displacements of 43 marked boulders on the glacier. Assuming a uniform balance on the glacier tongue and semi-elliptical cross-sections, it has been possible to estimate this balance and the glacier thickness. A great amount of the measured velocity comes from the creep of the moraine itself, which seems to be a kind of rock glacier, probably without interstitial ice. It must have taken all the Holocene to be formed. During its complex history a pro-glacial lake must have formed at some time, the rupture of which explains the crooked form.

We explain how preliminary results concerning the internal constitution of the big push moraine at Safuna were obtained in 1967. Cross-sections which were obtained later through electrical and seismic exploration and arduous borings are given. Under the lake Safuna Alta there exists a layer of dead ice which is probably a remnant from an old glacier advance and over which the active glacier slides, but this dead ice does not extend into the push moraine. Since 1950 Safuna Alta has formed, the glacier tongue has lowered by 0.8 m per year on average, and the big push moraine has moved and settled.

The annual balance on the glacier tongue was measured in 1968. It increases by 3.9 m of ice per 100 m in altitude. The discharge of ice near the lake and the annual balance further up-valley allow an estimate of the mean annual balance in the accumulation zone (between 4 850 and 6 020 m) at 2.30 m of water per year. Until now no annual precipitation higher than 1 m/year had been measured in Cordillera Blanca, but this Cordillera includes many meso-climates.

Eight successive moraines are found at Safuna. They are tentatively correlated with the eight existing between Huaraz and Laguna Llaca. Clapperton’s “group 4" was not formed during the 20th, but during the 17th century. His “group 3" is not from A.D. 1750-1800, but is rather 5000 to 7000 years old, according to the offset of Cordillera Blanca great fault.

This contribution is published in full as three papers in Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 18, No. 79.

Recent measurements of near-surface temperature and surface velocity from the Variegated Glacier are presented. Temperature was measured with thermocouples at nine sites spaced along the length of the glacier. Maximum measurement depths ranged from 8 m in the lower ablation area to 20 m in the accumulation area. Accuracy of measurement was about 0.1 deg. By the end of summer the temperature at all measured sites and depths was not measurably different from zero, indicating that practically all of the near-surface ice of the glacier is temperate. The distribution of surface velocity along the length of the glacier shows distinct variations with time which cannot be explained by internal deformation in the glacier as influenced by changes in ice depth and slope. This indicates that the glacier is sliding over much of its length, which requires that the base of the glacier is temperate. Taken together, the near-surface temperature and velocity data provide good evidence that Variegated Glacier is temperate throughout and also indicate that the surge behavior of this glacier cannot be explained by thermal triggering.

Understanding the relationship between the morphology of former ice-sheet beds and glaciological processes is handicapped by the difficulty of establishing which stage of a cycle of ice-sheet growth and decay is responsible for most erosion. Discussions at this conference and in the literature display a variety of opinions, some favouring periods of ice-sheet build up, others periods of fluctuations, and still others steady-state maximum conditions. Here it is suggested that there is geomorphological evidence which points to the dominance of maximum conditions.

Along the eastern margins of the Laurentide and Greenland ice sheets there is a sharp discontinuity between Alpine relief which stood above the ice-sheet surface at the maximum and plateau scenery which was covered by the ice sheet. Often the two types of relief are adjacent and yet separated by an altitudinal difference of only 100–200 m. The existence of an abrupt rather than gradual transition from one relief type to the other suggests that most glacial sculpture must have taken place while the ice sheet was at its maximum extent. In other geomorphological situations where high mountains were submerged by ice sheets, the major erosional landforms are frequently found to relate to ice sheets rather than to local mountain glaciers, again suggesting the dominance of erosion during full ice-sheet conditions. Finally, the identification of patterns of glacial erosion on an ice-sheet scale in North America and Greenland points to erosion when the ice sheets were fully expanded, rather than to the variable flow conditions associated with growth or decay.

If ice-sheet erosion is accepted as being a result of maximum conditions, then it places certain constraints on glacial theory, for example the need to develop theories of glacial erosion which apply beneath ice thicknesses of several thousand metres. It also suggests that the use of steady-state models of ice sheets is likely to be a profitable way of relating glaciological processes to the morphology of former ice-sheet beds.

Bulk aerodynamic methods have been shown to perform poorly in computing turbulent heat fluxes at glacier surfaces during shallow katabatic winds. Katabatic surface layers have different wind shear and flux profiles to the surface layers for which the bulk methods were developed, potentially invalidating their use in these conditions. In addition, eddy covariance-derived turbulent heat fluxes are unlikely to be representative of surface conditions when eddy covariance data are collected close to the wind speed maximum (WSM). Here we utilize two months of eddy covariance and meteorological data measured at three different heights (1 m, 2 m, and 3 m) at Kaskawulsh Glacier in the Yukon, Canada, to re-examine the performance of bulk methods relative to eddy covariance-derived fluxes under different near-surface flow regimes. We propose a new set of processing methods for one-level eddy covariance data to ensure the validity of calculated fluxes during highly variable flows and low-level wind speed maxima, which leads to improved agreement between eddy covariance-derived and modelled fluxes across all flow regimes, with the best agreement (correlation >0.9) 1 m above the surface. Contrary to previous studies, these results show that adequately processed eddy covariance data collected at or above the WSM can provide valid estimates of surface heat fluxes.

Theory and observation show that glacier-flow regimes characterized by high basal slip enhance the projection of topographic detail to the surface, motivating this investigation into the efficacy of using glacier surges to improve bed estimation. Here we adapt a Bayesian inversion scheme and apply it to real and synthetic data as a proof of concept. Synthetic tests show a reduction in mean RMSE between true and inferred beds by more than half, and an increase in the mean correlation coefficient of ~0.5, when data from slip- versus deformation-dominated regimes are used. Multi-epoch inversions, which partition slip- and deformation-dominated regimes, are shown to outperform inversions that average over these flow regimes thereby squandering information. Tests with real data from a surging glacier in Yukon, Canada, corroborate these results, while highlighting the challenges of limited or inconsistent data. With the growing torrent of satellite-based observations, fast-flow events such as glacier surges offer potential to improve bed estimation for some of the world's most dynamic glaciers.

Crevasses pose severe risks for mountaineers and field glaciologists. Smaller cracks between 0.5 and 2 m are still dangerous, but often not visible in medium resolution satellite imagery. If they are snow covered, they are completely undetectable by optical sensors. We set out to develop an approach to detect potentially crevassed areas by a minimum of geometric data, and to make the method generally applicable to glacier regions. On Vernagtferner, we compared a reference dataset of crevasses observed in high-resolution optical imagery with the curvature of the ice surface and the spatial gradients in driving stress. Both parameters can be derived from a digital surface model and a bedrock model, derived from ice thickness measurements. The correlation patterns show that crevasses preferably form in convex areas and in areas where the driving stress rapidly increases. This corresponds with the theory of crevasse formation. Although the method still misclassifies larger parts, the approach has the potential to define probable non-crevassed areas as well as to aid the planning of safe routes.

Two rock glaciers are described from the maritime sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. The Cooper Sound rock glacier is a spatulate feature, probably ice-cored, 1.5 km long, and developed below a dissected cirque headwall. The Binary Peaks rock glacier is a lobate feature, possibly ice-cemented, only 175 m long, and contiguous with the talus behind it. Evidence for an ice-cored rock glacier in this maritime environment indicates that the debris supply and receiving glacier areas may be more important factors in determining rock-glacier development than zonal climate.

The time-scale for the onset of the explosive growth of a finite-amplitude shear-heating instability in the down-slope creep of a thick ice sheet is determined by integrating the equation for the temporal evolution of the temperature-depth profile subsequent to a sudden change in ice thickness. All instabilities eventually grow explosively after a prolonged period of simmering or relatively slow monotonic growth. Though times for explosive growth depend on initial and final ice thicknesses, surface temperature, accumulation rate, basal heat flux, and ice rheological parameters, the explosion times are extremely sensitive to the activation energy and the pre-exponential constant of the ice-creep law. Sudden increases in ice-sheet thickness of 1–2 km due to a rapid climatic deterioration can lead to explosive instability and melting of the basal shear layer in only thousands of years if ice-creep activation energies are lower than about 60 kJ mol-1.

A study of the geomorphology of the Prince Charles Mountains using colour vertical air photographs shows well–preserved old moraines throughout much of the outcrop area. Along Fisher Glacier, lower Lambert Glacier and the Amery Ice Shelf, within the altitude range 50–2 000 m, the old moraines show that the ice level had risen 150–200 m above the present level at least three times. Old moraines elsewhere show that none of the other glaciers had risen significantly in their upper parts; the rise of their lower parts was caused by the rise of lower Lambert Glacier and the Amery Ice Shelf. The changes in ice level are unlikely to be due to climatic change because this would not repeatedly affect only one glacier draining central Antarctica. It is thought that the changes in ice level are caused by repeated surges of Fisher Glacier.