Evaluation of Arctic Ice-Free Land Sites Kronprins Christian Land and Peary Land, North Greenland, 1960.

• Main Authors: Davies, William E., Krinsley, Daniel B.
• Other Authors: AIR FORCE CAMBRIDGE RESEARCH LABS HANSCOM AFB MA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1961
• Subjects: Military Aircraft Operations; Terminal Flight Facilities; Soil Mechanics; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *LANDING FIELDS; *AIRCRAFT LANDINGS; TEST AND EVALUATION; SURFACE ANALYSIS; COMPARISON; FIELD TESTS; TERRAIN; DEPOSITION; DRAINAGE; MELTING; AIR DROP OPERATIONS; GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS; SITE INVESTIGATIONS; RUNWAYS; LANDING IMPACT; VALLEYS; SOIL TESTS; GLACIERS; LAND ICE; GREENLAND; SOIL COMPACTION; SILT; PERMAFROST; SPN-19950112079; Arctic; Greenland; Peary; Peary Land; Kronprins Christian Land; Ice; Kronprins Christian land; North Greenland; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA289794; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA289794

This is a report of terrain investigations conducted in North Greenland, in June and July 1960, for the purpose of locating potential airfield sites. Eight sites were studied; all require a small amount of grading to make a 5000-ft (1500-m) runway. In addition the Broenlund Fjord airfield, site of a test landing on a natural surface in 1957, was re-examined and the the east half of the runway was found unusable at the time of visit because of late snow melt and poor drainage. Scientific observations, as part of the program, showed that northern Peary Land was covered only by valley glaciers during the last glacial period and that an extensive marine invasion which deposited marine and related lacustrine silt occurred when the ice retreated about 6000 years ago. This was followed by a readvance of glaciers down major fjords and subsequent retreat to present ice fronts. (AN)