STRATIGRAPHIC STUDIES IN THE SNOW AND FIRN OF THE GREENLAND ICE SHEET

During a 4-yr period (1952-55) 146 pit studies and 288 supplementary Rammsonde profiles were made along 1100 miles of oversnow traverse in western Greenland. Temperature, density, ram hardness, and grain size were measured in the strata exposed in each pit. Stratification of snow, resulting from var...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: BENSON,CARL S.
Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1962
Subjects:
*SNOW
CLASSIFICATION
CLIMATE
PHOTOGRAPHS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TABLES(DATA)
Greenland
Ice Sheet
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0288219
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0288219
Description
Summary:During a 4-yr period (1952-55) 146 pit studies and 288 supplementary Rammsonde profiles were made along 1100 miles of oversnow traverse in western Greenland. Temperature, density, ram hardness, and grain size were measured in the strata exposed in each pit. Stratification of snow, resulting from variations in conditions of deposition and emphasized by diagenesis, gives a sequence of recognizable annual layers in the upper 10 to 20 m which can be correlated between pits to provide a picture of annual accumulation. The concept of facies is applied to the ice sheet. Four diagenetic facie are recognized: (1) ablation; (2) soaked; (3) percolation; and (4) dry-snow. A revised estimate for the balance of the ice sheet gives a slightly positive balance which is interpreted to mean that the Greenland ice sheet is essentially in e uilibrium with present-day climate.

Similar Items