The Movement and Basal Sliding of the Nisqually Glacier, Mount Rainier

• Main Author: Hodge,Steven M.
• Other Authors: WASHINGTON UNIV SEATTLE DEPT OF ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1972
• Subjects: Snow; Ice and Permafrost; (*GLACIERS; MOTION); (*WASHINGTON(STATE); GLACIERS); ICE; THICKNESS; VELOCITY; DEFORMATION; PERIODIC VARIATIONS; TRIANGULATION; DENSITY; METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA; SHEAR STRESSES; NAVAL RESEARCH; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0752194; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0752194

Detailed measurements of surface velocities along the centerline of the lower Nisqually Glacier, Mount Rainier, Washington, were made on the average of every 12 days for a period of 2 days. Changes in surface velocity, surface slope, and ice thickness were calculated. Surface velocities were related to sliding velocities at the bed through a glacier flow model. It was found that internal deformation within the ice accounts for less than half of its observed surface motion. Internal deformation contributes progressively less with distance up-glacier and, near the equilibrium line, sliding probably accounts for 80-90% of the observed motion. (Author)