Basal freezing of squeezed water: its influence on glacier erosion

Auteurs :
SOUCHEZ, R. A.
TISON, J. L.

Description :
The basal ice layer of glacier de Tsidjiore Nouve in the Swiss Alps consists of debris bands and associated clear ice lenses. This layer is due to refreezing of squeezed water at the sole of the glacier, as evidenced by the chemical properties of the ice. Active erosion processes include entrainment of debris in the basal ice layer and abrasion on rock protuberances immediately down-glacier. The formation of the basal ice layer requires a temperature of the squeezed water determined by the pressure-melting point within the basal ice which should be below the freezing temperature of the pore water in the subglacial debris layer. This would be the case if the pore water were at a pressure-lower than the basal ice pressure.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Annals of Glaciology Cambridge, 1982, vol. 2, p. 63-66, Références bibliographiques : 8 réf.

Date :
1982