Excess Pressure Observed in a Water-filled Cavity in Athabasca Glacier, Canada

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Paterson, W.S.B., Savage, J.C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1970
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Canada; glacier*; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000026824; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000026824

Abstract During drilling in the Athabasca Glacier in April 1968, a cavity containing water was punctured at a depth of 9.2 m below the ice surface. Upon removing the drill, water gushed from the bore hole for about 55 s indicating an excess pressure of at least 0.25 bar within the cavity. The surrounding ice was slightly below the pressure melting point, and the excess pressure was apparently generated by the reduction in volume of the cavity caused by freezing of some of the water within it.