A Note on the Surface Profile of the Greenland Ice Sheet

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Philberth, K., Federer, B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1970
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Greenland; Ice Sheet; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000026903; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000026903

Abstract This paper deals with the influence on the surface profile of the Greenland ice sheet, of an accumulation which increases between the ice divide and the coast, and of the thermal softening of the lowermost layers. It is concluded that the form of the surface of the profile measured by E.G.I.G. can be described by Glen's law with the exponent n = 3.5. The assumption is made that the bottom differs everywhere from the pressure melting point by a constant amount. This assumption is dropped in the second part of the paper. On the basis of the measured surface profile it is shown that the maximum increase of the bottom temperature is a few degrees within a range of 300 km. In view of the increasing surface temperature and heat of friction towards the outer edge it is concluded that, relatively close to the ice divide, that ice at the bottom must be temperate. Therefore we concluded that friction forces are preventing the ice from slipping on the bedrocks.