Thermal regime and geomorphology of plateau ice caps in northern Norway: observations and implications

• Main Authors: Gellatly, Anne F., Gordon, John E., Whalley, W. Brian, Hansom, James D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Geological Society of America 1988
• Subjects: Norway; glacier; Northern Norway; Lyngen
• Online Access: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/99649/; https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1988)016<0983:TRAGOP>2.3.CO;2

The ice caps on high plateaus of northern Norway (lat 70°N) can be grouped according to altitude. The highest ice caps (> 1500m) are dry-based and are slowly retreating to reveal undisturbed block fields; they appear to be found only in southern Lyngen. Ice on plateaus at lower elevations (≤ 1500 m above sea level) is wet-based and has produced extensive striated bedrock surfaces and moraine sequences on the glacier forefields. We propose that this geomorphological distinction can be applied to other plateau glaciers to identify present and, in particular, former basal thermal regimes.