The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
MELTING GLACIERS.


Observations of the Alpine glaciers dur
Ing series Of years nave supplied proof
that these great Ice streams have long
been in process Of recession. Similar evil
dence with regard to the Greenland glaciers
has not been collected over wide area.
though Dr. NJ. r. Engell of Copenhagen,
who visited the Jakobshavn glacier last
summer has made a collection Of facts
which seems to show conclusively that
the glaciers of Greenland are also receding
The facts he has obtained relate only
TO the region of Jakobshavn, where the
mos, southerIv Of the great glaciers OF
Greenland is found. But tine fact that he
has proved that this great glacier has been
in process Of retreat for many years makes
il reasona BILE to infer that the same met cor
illogical conditions are influencing the ice
masses al least over wide area Of south
Greenland
DR. Engell selected the Jakobshavn glacier
for his studies because 1t is the only glacier
of Greenland which has been observed by
white visitors for long period of time,
At least nine visitors. several Of them
men of science, have examined these glaciers
within the past fifty-three years
They did not all record the location Of
it's front so clearly that DR.. Engell, in max
ing his map, can be certain that he has cor
rectly assigned the position Of its face
at the time each man saw II, but there
seems to he little doubt that his map Of he
retreat of the Jakobshavn glacier just
published in Petermcnn's Mitteilungen Is
approximately correct. Among the visitors
to the glacier whose observations are shown
on Dr. Engells map were Rink, Nordcn-
|; skiold and other wellknown Arctic
students.
The map shows approximately the posi-
ton Of the front of the great glacier in
1850, 1875, 1879, March. 1870: August, 1880;
February. 1893; August, 1893. and 1902.
| The information given on the map indicates
that in the past tifty-three years tho face
Of the glacier has retreated about eight
| miles.
, Not only il it shorter than it formerly
| was, but its mass has otherwise been re-
| duced TO very considerable extent The
surface Of the glacier now lies from 20 to 30
,. feet below it's former level and the precpi-
| tous walls of rock that hem 1t in bear the
| record of this change of level.
! II is probable that for many years the
| glacier maintained about the same height
and the rock walls above it's level were quito
black. Now that the surface has sunk
/ the new area of wall on either side against
which the sides OF the glacier formerly
rested are shown not black but grayish
in color With this shrinking Of the Ice
mass, new land has come into sight Several
hills, or nunataks, that formerly were en-
tirely concealed by the ice cap have now
! come into view and the large nunatak near
| the head Of the glacier is larger than ever.
! II is found also that the other glaciers
IN that neighborhood are in process Of
| retreat. and the evidence collected by DR..
Engell shows that this process has been
going on for long series of years. This
evidence would seem u show that for the
| past half century the summer heat has been
greater than it was for mt least a consider
able period before that time. with the result
that on the whole the ice of south Green
land has been melting n little more rapidly
4 THAI it has formed.