EFFECT OF A BASAL WATER LAYER ON THE DIMENSIONS OF ICE SHEETS.

• Main Author: Weertman,J.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1966
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; (*GLACIERS; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES); ANTARCTIC REGIONS; ABLATION; WATER; THICKNESS; STABILITY; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice; Ice Sheet; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0644596; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0644596

The effect of a basal water layer on the equilibrium dimensions of an ice sheet is examined. A thick water layer can decrease the equilibrium thickness of an ice sheet such as covers Antarctica (which contains no significant ablational areas) by a factor of the order of 2. Similar large changes in the equilibrium dimensions occur for ice-age ice sheets (which have extensive ablational areas). The extent of the ablation area of an ice-age ice sheet which may be covered with morainal debris also is calculated. (Author)