A Comparison Between the Theoretical and the Measured Long Profile of the Unteraar Glacier

Abstract

Abstract The measurements by seismic sounding of the long profile of the Unteraar Glacier reported by Mercanton and Renaud are compared with theoretical calculations. By taking the valley to be a cylinder of parabolic cross-section a theoretical curve for the surface is deduced which depends on one unknown parameter only, the average shear stress on the bed. If this parameter is given the value 0.77 × 106 dynes/cm.2 the theoretical curve agrees well with the measurements.