The Quantity of Melt Water in the Marble Point–Gneiss Point Area McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Davis, John R., Nichols, Robert L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1968
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; McMurdo Sound; Marble Point; Wilson Piedmont Glacier; Gneiss Point; Antarc*; Antarctica; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000031075; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000031075

Among the important factors in the formation of melt water are: (1) The air and soil temperatures. (2) The presence or absence of debris on snow and ice. (3) The surface gradients of the glaciers. These gradients determine the areas of snow and ice in the zone where melting can occur as well as the amount of insolation. (4.) The orientation of snow and ice slopes. In general, in the Southern Hemisphere north-facing slopes receive more insolation than south-facing slopes. The main source of the melt water is Wilson Piedmont Glacier, and the snowdrift-ice slabs are next in importance. The seasonal snowfall is not an important source, nor is the ice in the active zone. As no rain has ever been reported, all run-off is melt water. The seasonal discharge of the Surko and Scheuren Rivers was roughly measured in 1957–58. It was found to be approximately 13 m 3 s −1 d for the Surko River and approximately 19 m 3 s −1 d for the Scheuren River, and it seems likely that the total seasonal discharge of all streams in the area was not far from 50 m 3 s −1 d.