RECONNAISSANCE OF EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLIES EAST GREENLAND

• Main Author: DAVIS,STANLEY N.
• Other Authors: ARCTIC INST OF NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1960
• Subjects: *WATER SUPPLIES; DIOXIDES; ICE; LAKES; SILICON COMPOUNDS; SNOW; Greenland; Ice Lakes; East Greenland
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0259268; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0259268

Reconnaissance observations verify the presence of abundant emergency sources of fresh water in East Greenland. Perennial sources of unfrozen water are, however, confined to lakes and valley bottoms having alluvium or outwash at least 30 feet thick. Approximate analyses of 36 water samples and precise analyses of 10 of the same samples indicate water of good to excellent chemical quality. Comparisons made with analyses from tropical and temperate regions fail to show chemical differences that are only due to variations of temperature and vegetation. CONCLUSIONS: Snowfields, glaciers, lakes streams, and springs, generally contain water of excellent chemical quality in East Greenland. Although concentrations of total dissolved solids are generally low, chemical weathering must be quite active during the short melt season. Silica concentrations appear to be slightly lower in water from East Greenland than in water from the United States. The contrast may be due to differences in runoff rates rather than differences in temperature and vegetation. (Author)