Observations in North Greenland Relating to Theories of the Properties of Ice

Abstract

AbstractTo test Nye’s formula relating maximum surface slope at a point on an ice sheet with the thickness at that point, observations were made of the surface slope in north Greenland. Values of the shear stress on the bed at these points are calculated. It is unlikely that variations of the shear stress can be related with rates of movement. It is suggested that the difference between values of shear stress in north Greenland and those in south Greenland is at least partly due to the presence of bottom melting in the north.