Some Further Observations on the Behavior of an Ice-Dammed Self-Draining Lake, Glacier Bay, Alaska, U.S.A.

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Author: Moravek, John R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1973
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Glacier Bay; glacier; Journal of Glaciology; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000031919; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000031919

In an effort to ascertain the drainage mechanism of ice-dammed self-draining lakes, the author made observations on the behavior of the small Casement Glacier Lake in 1967. On 22 July when the first outburst of the lake occurred the water level dropped 31.92 m, leaving approximately 35 m of water remaining. Then, following a 2 week period of stability, the lake level fell gradually but steadily during the rest of the summer. Whereas a second rapid discharge occurred in 1965, one never did in 1967. The initial discharge was subglacial and resulted from flotation of the dam; the slow late-summer drainage, however, cannot be attributed to that mechanism and thus remains to be explained.