ARCTIC Internal Structure and Environmental Significance of a

• Main Authors: Anton G Lewkowicz, David G. Harry
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1990
• Subjects: Arctic; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.546.7384; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic44-1-74.pdf

ABSTRACT. A perennial snowbank located in the continuous permafrost zone was cored to obtain details of its internal structure and history. In spring the snowbank is up to 10 m thick and composed of deep snow accumulated during the previous winter, overlying ice developed by basal ice accretion over many years. The perennial ice exhibits a layered structure with alternating clear and milky bands and contains randomly oriented, variably shaped bubbles. Horizons of aeolian and mudflow deposits occur at irregular intervals and correspond to periods of aggradation and thaw truncation of the snowbank. ’Ititium concentrations in a core from the deepest portion of the snowbank indicate that the basal 2 m of ice pre-dates 1957. Other layers