Hydro-physical conditions of an Arctic proglacial valley, Bylot Island

P. Wainstein, B. Moorman, K. Whitehead

In the proceedings of: GEO2010 Calgary: 63rd Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 6th Canadian Permafrost Conference

Session: T3-E

ABSTRACT: Icings are one of the most dominant forms of extrusive ice in periglacial environments, with proglacial icings commonly found in the eastern Canadian Arctic and Scandinavia. They occur as a result of the combination of cold arctic climate, continuous permafrost and polythermal glaciers. The preservation of these cryo-hydrological features, such as the one in front of Fountain Glacier on Bylot Island, depends on the availability of subglacial water and on the balance between ice accretion and hydro-thermal erosion. Geophysical and topographical surveys were conducted to study the main hydro-physical conditions of the proglacial valley that are responsible for the preservation of Fountain Glacier icing.

RÉSUMÉ: Abondants dans l'est de l'Arctique canadien et en Scandinavie, les aufeis sont l'une des principales formes de glace extrusive en milieu périglaciaire. Ils sont le résultat d'interactions entre le climat froid de l'Arctique, le pergélisol continu et les glaciers subpolaires. La préservation de ces formations cryo-hydrologiques telles que celle se situant devant le glacier Fountain dépendt de la disponibilité d'eau proglaciaire et d'un équilibre entre l'accumulation de la glace et l'érosion hydrothermale. Des études géophysiques et topographiques ont été menées afin d'examiner les conditions hydro-physiques propres à la vallée proglaciaire et qui expliqueraient la préservation de l'aufeis proglaciaire du glacier Fountain

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