Glaciological and Botanical Studies in Northern Ellesmere Island, 1959

Abstract

The writers spent the summer season from May 18 to August 18 in the region of the Gilman Glacier, about 82°08'N, 70°57'W, in northeastern Ellesmere Island. The investigations undertaken under a Banting grant in aid were mainly complementary to the glaciological and botanical work of the expedition "Operation Hazen" sponsored by the Defence Research Board of Canada in 1957-8. The work of the party can be divided into four separate phases. After arrival at the Gilman Glacier camp of 1958 on May 18, supplies and equipment were moved from there to a new camp at the glacier snout. Some food and other stores were cached on a nunatak at the east side of the glacier. During this period all ablation and movement stakes that had been established in 1957-8 were visited by Sagar in order to gather ablation and accumulation data for 1958. By June 1, after the base camp had been established some 120 yards from the glacier snout, a series of meteorological and radiation observations was started, but a full program could not be begun until June 13 after all installations had been completed. During this second period the ablation stakes on the lower 8 miles of the glacier were examined. Additional ablation stakes were installed in the face of the snout. Botanical reconnaissance surveys of the snout area and neighbouring slopes were made by Powell. From June 13 to August 5 systematic series of synoptic and micro-meteorological readings were taken, but they were occasionally interrupted by other duties or by breakdown of equipment. Surveys of the glacier terminus, visits to a nearby drift glacier and to a small valley glacier were also made. Investigations of plant ecology and of plant communities in specific areas of the Lake Hazen-Gilman Glacier region were carried out. Less detailed meteorological observations only could be undertaken from August 6 to 17 after heavy and bulky equipment had been removed by helicopter to the USCGS icebreaker Westwind. Dr. G. F. Hattersley-Smith joined the party during this final period and took part in the glaciological work. All glacier stations were revisited in order to collect ablation data. Late summer plant and seed collections were made by Powell. The party left the glacier camp on August 18 and walked to the east shore of Lake Hazen where they were picked up by an R.C.A.F. plane on the 24th. A preliminary examination of the glaciological data allows one to draw certain conclusions. A direct comparison with some relevant records of 1957 and 1958 shows that accumulation of snow was approximately the same in each of the three years. In 1959 ablation was appreciably less than in 1958 and still more so than in 1957. The ablation season of 1959 was shorter and probably cooler than those of 1957 and 1958. Linear snout recession due to melting was relatively small in 1959. The present morphology of the glacier terminus indicates that a slight readvance of the ice during a whole year may be taking place at present. A close relationship between the amount of ablation over the lower part of the glacier and the solar radiation income was observed. It is hoped to present the results of the glaciological investigations in full in a later paper in which both the ablation process and the structural changes at the snout will be discussed. The botanical studies served to confirm distributional features noted before. Further ecological and phenological notes on flowering plants were taken and collections of all the species found were made. The collections of higher plants and less complete collections of mosses, lichens, and fungi have been deposited in the National Museum of Canada. Among the collections are a number of holarctic range extensions. The phenological data for 1959 as compared with those for 1958 support the evidence that the summer of 1959 was cooler than that of the previous years. ...