INSTITUTE NEWS INSTITUTE 317

U.S. Census Bureau. Population Di- Technical Papers of the Arctic Institute vision U.S. Congress. Senate. Public Works Numbers 9 and 10 of this series have Committee appeared. No.9. A GEOBOTANICALSUR- U.S. Department of the Army VEY OF NORTHERNMANITOBA. J.By C. U.S. Department of the Navy.Geo- Ritchie. 1962. 47 pages, 5 tables, 8 fig- physicsBranch. Oceanographic ures, 2 folding maps. Price: to members Section $1.00; tonon-members $2.00. No. 10. U.S. HydrographicOffice ESKIMO ADMINISTRATION.I. ALASKA. By U.S. Hydrographic Office. Library Diamond Jenness. 1962. 64 pages, 2 fig- U.S. NavalMissile Center, Point ures. Price to members $2.000; to non- Mugu, California members $3.00 Copies can be obtained White Pass and Yukon Route from the Montreal Office. World Health Organization

THE DEVON ISLAND EXPEDITION 1960-64

Preliminary report for September 1961 to September 1962

The Arctic Institute is maintaining a chaeologicalreconnaissance in 1960 research programon Devon Island, have been reported in Arctic 13: 270-71. N.W.T., the purposes of which include A summary of the field work of the first fundamental studies in geophysics, gla- full season, 1961, together with several ciology, meteorology,and oceanography, preliminary reports has appeared in with particular attention to the inter- Arctic 14:252-65. Thefield season of relationshipsbetween the marine and 1961 ended on September 12 when the glacialenvironments. Detailed studies various field parties were taken to inarchaeology and geology are also Thule, Greenland, by the U.S. Coast supported. Theestablishment of the Guard icebreaker Westwind. basestation and the preliminary ar-

September 1961 to April 1962

Five men remained on Devon Island west edge of the ice cap to a point 3 km. to carry onglaciological, meteorologi- above the firnline. The cores varied cal, and oceanographicobservations from 2 m. to 10 m. in length. During the through the winter. They were: in gla- winter a large number of thin sections ciology, R. M. Koerner, in meteorology, from these pores were examinedin A. Gill and C. W. Nicol, in oceanography detail for hubble structpre, crystal size and limnology, S. Apollonio and B. and shagp, and orientation of the c-axes. Beck, all of the Arctic Institute. The More pan 600 photographq were made winter programfrom September 1961 in capnection with the exmipation of to April 1962 comprised: these sections. The results include the observation Glaciology;studies on glacier-, la&@-, that, though no majorconcentrations and sea-ice in the orientation of c-axes were de- During the summer and fall qf 1961 tected at or above the icecap station ice cores were collected at nine stations (located below the firn line), a definite on a profile extending from the north- pattern emerges in a core taken near a 318 INSTITUTE NEWS shear (?) moraine at the top of a steep tures. The radiation program measured slope at the edge of the ice cap. Similar total and net, solar and sky radiation at concentrations were found, with c-axes frequent intervals wheneverpossible. alignedin the direction of bubble stretching, on a ridge of a valley Oceanography glacier. Thecoastal waters of Jones Sound Continued study of such cores from froze solidly in early November and an the ice cap willreveal in some detail the oceanographic station was then estab- character of meltseasons in previous lished about 2 milesoffshore over 80 years. metres of water. The station was occu- Thesea-ice study includeddetailed pied through the winter at approximate- measurements of thickness, internal ly 2-week intervals and samples were temperatures, crystal size and orienta- taken from five depths. Measurements tion, crystal platesize, brine celldis- included temperature and salinity, and tribution, andice density. An overall oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate growth rate of 1.1 cm./day was meas- concentrations. Zooplankton tows were ured and variations in the rate agree made from 50 and 80 metres. with changes in the thermalgradient in The measurements showed the grad- the lower 50 cm. of the ice.The ice ual cooling of the Sound and a decline consisted largely of vertically elongated of oxygen content, together with a crystals with horizontalc-axes. The gradual increase of the nutrientconcen- crystal sizecould generally be corre- trations. A significantinverse correla- lated with the rate of growth of the ice. tionbetween minor phosphate and No regularity wasobserved in the silicate fluctuations just off the bottom variations of the plate thicknesses. was noted. This persisted until oxygen Theice of four lakes was studied. reached its lowestconcentration. The Again, temperatures, crystal size and zooplanktontows revealed a typically orientation, and bubble patterns were arctic community with a large number measured. In all the lakes the crystal of nauplii through the winter. size increased rapidly with depth from In Marchtwo photometers were a diameter of less than 1 cm. to more frozen into the sea-iceand measure- than 25 cm. at a depth of 70 cm. Crystals ments of thenatural penetration of longer than 70 cm. were observed. The sunlight were made at frequent inter- orientation of the c-axesvaried with vals until July. depth and notablyfrom lake to lake. Water samples were collected to deter- Limnology mine the effects of chemicalcomposi- From September until June, frequent tion on the orientation. Notable varia- measurements were made at several tionsin bubble structures werealso depths of temperature, and oxygen and observed from lake to lake. silicate concentrations. Neither nitrates nor phosphates could be detected in the Meteorology lake near the base camp. Vertical zoo- Themeteorological, micro-meteoro- planktontows were made at regular logical and radiation observations were intervals. continued at the base camp essentially There was a marked drop during the as they had been carried on through the winter in oxygen throughout the lake, summer. After October 1 the synoptic but particularly just off the bottom. The surface observations were radioed seven silicate concentration increasedthrough times daily, radio conditionspermitting, the winter, particularly just off the to the Meteorological Branch, Depart- bottom. So close was the inverse corre- ment of Transport, at Resolute,via lation between oxygen and silicate that Eureka, N.W.T. The micro-meteorologi- very little of the oxygen depletion can cal program included measurements of be attributed to faunal metabolism. wind and temperature profiles up to 10 The zooplankton tows showeda rath- metres, and ground and snow tempera- er constant population of Limnoculunus INSTITUTE NEWS 319 macrurus through the winter. Several on adult copepodsin the spring. measurements of respiration were made

April 1962 to September 1962 Thefirst field workers arrived on program, makingresistivity measure- DevonIsland on April 20, 1962. The ments onsimilar traverses at 4-mile second group reached the island onMay intervals. At the top of the icecap 20. Both groups were flown from Reso- detailed measurements were madeon lute in an Otter aircraft chartered from the resistivity of firn and ice layers at Bradley Air Services piloted by R. M. the site of the glaciologist’s deep snow de Blicquy. pit. The summer personnel consisted of: In mid-August the movement stakes Geophysics J. P. GreenhouseUniversity of British Columbia R. D. Hyndman (gravity) 2, 17 ,> R.A. Tansey(survey) Royal Engineers - U.K. GlaciologyR. M. Koerner Arctic Institute of North America A. Gill 9, 2, ,7 9) Meteorology L. Dahlgren University of Uppsala B. Holmgren 9, 2, C. W. Nicol Arctic Institute of North America C. Shackleton ,, 9, 2) 2, Oceanography and S. Apollonio Arctic Institute of North America Marine Biology M.9) Weinstein 9, 9, 7) Master Mechanic V. D. Boyd Arctic Institute of North America General Assistant H. D. Suckling 9) 97 7, 97

Geophysics of theSverdrup Glacier were re- The geophysical program included a surveyed and gravitya traverse of continuation of the geoelectrical method seven stations together with a levelling of depth sounding of the icecap, to- survey was carried across the glacier. gether with investigations into its pos- A detailed survey of the shape of the sible application to general glaciological northwest edge of the ice cap was then problems;a gravity traverse of the made, occupying 26 stations and meas- DevonIce Cap and Sverdrup Glacier; uring stadia distances and vertical and a levelling survey. angles. Transportation was by an Eliason toboggan. During the early part of the Glaciology season Lieutenant Tanseywas evacu- The party travelled by “Weasel” and ated by air to Thule AFB hospital for continued and extended the 1961 work. an emergency operation for acute ap- The number of accumulation-ablation pendicitis.He returned at the end of stakes from theSverdrup Glacier to June. the top of the icecap was doubled, Gravity stations were established at with stakes concentrated near the ex- 1.5-kilometre intervals on an 80-kilo- pected net accumulation line. The pro- metre traverse across the ice cap from file of stakes wascontinued over the near Sverdrup Glacier to near Croker southeast side of the ice cap at 200-ft. Bay. A second15-kilometre traverse altitude intervals to near the Cunning- was run from this profile to the top of ham Mountains. A line of stakes were the ice cap. A levellingsurvey was made set into the Johnson Glacieron the in connection with the gravity stations south coast, and 23 stakes were estab- on the two traverses across the ice cap. lished from the edge of the ice cap near After completion of those traverses Croker Bay to the top. Finally,19 stakes the party carried out the geoelectrical were set in from the top of the ice cap 320 NEWS INSTITUTE downon to a large glacier entering summer. Jones Sound at 82OW. On all these There was relatively little altitudinal profiles snow pits were dug at frequent variation in the amount of ice removed intervals for stratigraphic records, from theSverdrup Glacier, butthe densities, temperatures, and grain sizes. ablation at any altitude on the glacier Numerousadditional snow depths de- could be correlated with the crystal terminations were made. The work will structure of the ice. give a very detailed picture of 1961-62 snow accumulation. Of particular inter- Meteorology est was the very much greater amount The program continued and extended of accumulation of snow measured on the meteorological, micro-meteorologi- the south side of the icecap. Snow cal and radiation observations of 1961. depths on the southeast side were about Comparableobservations were made 130 cm. as compared with about 30 cm. at the base station near sea-level and on the northwest side and 40-50 cm. at the ice cap station. The base station on the southwestside. Most of the continuedto radio its surface synop- stakes were remeasured and new pits ticobservations Resolute.to Both were dug at the end of the melt season stations measured low-level wind and in August. temperature profiles using continuously A series of cores 5 metres and 10 recordinganemometers and ventilated metres in length were taken on the thermometers on 10-metre masts. Radi- snow traverses, and densities,grain size, ationobservations were made with and stratigraphy were recorded. Eppley, and Angstrom pyrreheliometers A 10-metre pit was dug at the top of and Beckman-and-Whitleyradiome- the ice cap as control for the cores, and ters. Upper-air wind observations were it was extended to 22 metres by coring. made with pilotballoons at both Thepit penetrated the firnto that stations. deposited in 1938. Thermocouple sets on the glacier and Oceanography and Marine Biology the icecap measured temperature In Mayanoceanographic station variations down to depths of 12 m. and measuring temperature, salinity,ni- 10 m., respectively. trates, phosphates, and silicates at Run-off measurements were made standard depths wasoccupied inside from July 14 to August 11, during the the threshold of Grise Fiord, Ellesmere mainmelt period on theSverdrup Island.Constable R. Bacchus, RCMP, Glacier,using dilution equipment lent assisted with this work, and transport by the Jacobsen-McGillArctic Re- betweenDevon Island and Ellesmere search ExpeditiontoAxel Heiberg Islandwas provided by the Eskimos Island. These measurements were sup- Isaac and Moses.The fiord water ap- plementedby readings with an Ott parently is rather warmer and contains water level recorder and an Ott current smaller quantities of the nutrient min- meter. Theprogram duringthe melt erals than water on the south side of periodincluded meteorological obser- Jones Sound. vations onthe glacier, and detailed run- During the summer regular and fre- off measurements were made at times quent measurements were made in the when they could be correlated with coastal waters of phytoplankton pro- radiation observations on the icecap duction by two or three methods, light and at sea-level. Ablatometer measure- penetration and water transparency, ments supplemented the direct run-off temperature, salinity,oxygen, nitrate, observations and the catchment area phosphate,silicate, and chlorophyll was surveyed by the geophysical party. variations. Phytoplankton samples were Much higher ablation wasrecorded routinely preserved. in 1962 than in 1961, but data from the In August measurements were made pit studies suggest that ice layers were of the various oceanographic parameters more characteristic for the 1960-61 within the water directly off the Sverd- INSTITUTE NEWS INSTITUTE 321 rup Glacier,to determine the glacial expedition.The entire scientific pro- effects on oceanography. gram benefited from his visit. Thefield parties were takenoff The work is supported by funds and Devon Island on September 30 and to equipment from the Canada Depart- Resolute, N.W.T.,by CCGS Labrador, ment of Northern Affairs and National and by a Helio-Courier aircraft Resources, the Defence Research Board pilotedby R.Ragle and P. Upton, of Canada, the Meteorological Branch, Arctic Institute of North America. The Canada Department of Transport, the programwill resume in April 1963. GeophysicalResearch Directorate of Dr. Fritz Muller, leader of the Jacob- the U.S. Air Force, the Hudson’s Bay sen-McGill Arctic Research Expedition Company,Massey-Ferguson Ltd., the to Axel Heiberg Island, visited Devon National Science Foundation, the Office Island in June for over a week.The of Naval Research, Department of the expeditionmembers are particularly Navy, the U.S.Army Quartermaster indebted to him for discussions on the Corps, the United States Steel Founda- ice cap concerningglaciological and tion, the U.S. Weather Bureau, and geophysicalproblems, for the loan of several private contributors. instruments, and for the use of the Super Cub aircraft chartered byhis SPENCERAPOLLONIO

Reviews

THE WORLD OF ICE. ed withmoving ice. With the great By JAMESL.DYSON. New York: exploration,logistic, and scientific ex- Alfred A. Knopf. 1962. 9% x 6% citement of the International Geophys- inches, xvii + 292 + xiiipages, 62 ical Year came increased publicinterest plates. $6.95. in the lands of perennial ice and snow. The lands covered with perennial Several popular writings about the field snow and ice are the only uninhabited of glaciology have appeared in response regions of the world. Except for a few to this heightened interest. Themost scientific and military installations, not complete so far is by James L. Dyson, a single permanent settlement occurs in head of the Department of Geology and this vast area, whichembraces about Geography at Lafayette College, Easton, ten per cent of the land surface of the Pennsylvania. earth. Scientific and popular interest in ProfessorDyson has produced a glaciers and ice caps has, however, been rather rambling but highly readable long maintained at a high level. This is survey of glaciers,ice sheets, sea-ice, dueto a number of differentfactors, and permafrost, emphasizing the influ- such as the romance of exploration in ence of iceon human activity. Dis- difficult and uninhabited areas, the large cussion of snow,snowlines, and the geographic extent of ice, and the inter- development and classification of gla- esting and unique phenomena connect- ciers leads into a briefdescription