Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada
Abstract Ten-meter temperature measurements show that Athabasca Glacier is temperate in the accumulation area but not in the ablation area. An important factor in determining whether all the ice will reach a temperature of 0° C by the end of summer is how much of the layer of ice, cooled during the...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1972
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000022462 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000022462 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000022462 2024-03-03T08:46:06+00:00 Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada Paterson, W. S. B. 1972 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000022462 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000022462 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 11, issue 61, page 31-41 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 1972 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000022462 2024-02-08T08:36:10Z Abstract Ten-meter temperature measurements show that Athabasca Glacier is temperate in the accumulation area but not in the ablation area. An important factor in determining whether all the ice will reach a temperature of 0° C by the end of summer is how much of the layer of ice, cooled during the previous winter, is removed by ablation. However, calculations show that, even when allowance is made for ablation, not enough heat is conducted into the ice to bring it all to the melting point. As recent work suggests that ice at 0° C is permeable to water, latent heat released by refreezing of percolating melt water is considered; it appears likely that this process is an insignificant heat source in the ablation area. Available data show that the penetration of solar radiation can probably also be neglected. The question of how widespread temperate glaciers are is discussed; it is predicted that in most, if not all, glaciers there is a region below the equilibrium line where, because ablation is low, the glacier is not strictly temperate. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Canada Journal of Glaciology 11 61 31 41 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Paterson, W. S. B. Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract Ten-meter temperature measurements show that Athabasca Glacier is temperate in the accumulation area but not in the ablation area. An important factor in determining whether all the ice will reach a temperature of 0° C by the end of summer is how much of the layer of ice, cooled during the previous winter, is removed by ablation. However, calculations show that, even when allowance is made for ablation, not enough heat is conducted into the ice to bring it all to the melting point. As recent work suggests that ice at 0° C is permeable to water, latent heat released by refreezing of percolating melt water is considered; it appears likely that this process is an insignificant heat source in the ablation area. Available data show that the penetration of solar radiation can probably also be neglected. The question of how widespread temperate glaciers are is discussed; it is predicted that in most, if not all, glaciers there is a region below the equilibrium line where, because ablation is low, the glacier is not strictly temperate. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Paterson, W. S. B. |
author_facet |
Paterson, W. S. B. |
author_sort |
Paterson, W. S. B. |
title |
Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada |
title_short |
Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada |
title_full |
Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Temperature Distribution in the Upper Layers of the Ablation Area of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta, Canada |
title_sort |
temperature distribution in the upper layers of the ablation area of athabasca glacier, alberta, canada |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1972 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000022462 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000022462 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 11, issue 61, page 31-41 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000022462 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
61 |
container_start_page |
31 |
op_container_end_page |
41 |
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1792502011408678912 |