Comparative Meteorological Survey and a Short-term Heat Balance Study of the White Glacier, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Summer 1962.
By: J.M. Havens, F. Müller and G.C. Wilmot.
Contributors: Müller, Fritz, 1926-1980.; Wilmot, G. C.; Jacobsen-McGill Arctic Research Expedition.
Series: Axel Heiberg Island Research Reports, Meteorology No. 4.  Mc Gill University, Montreal, Canada.
Publisher: McGill University
Published: 1965
Place of publication: Montreal, Canada
Language: eng
Number of pages: 68
Subjects: Glaciers -- Northwest Territories -- Axel Heiberg Island.; Heat budget (Geophysics) -- Northwest Territories -- White Glacier.; Meteorology -- Northwest Territories -- White Glacier.; Axel Heiberg Island (Nunavut); Northwest Territories -- Climate.; White Glacier (N.W.T.)
First sentence: Meteorological observations during the summer of 1962 were planned against the background provided by the detailed studies of the two previous summers (Andrews, 1964; Havens, 1964; Diem et al, 1965).  The specific objectives were:  1.  Continuation of the Base Camp reference station for general observations, with the addition of sunshine and short-wave radiation records, 2.  Re-activation of the Lower Ice Station on the White Glacier, 3. Initiation of several short-term stations to provide the data for a comparative micro-climatological study of ice-covered and bare-ground environments in the Expedition Area, and 4.  Detailed micro-meteorological and radiation observations at the Lower Ice Station as part of a glacial-meteorological programme during the height of the ablation season.  (from the Introduction)
Description: Site factors and the climatologcal elements observed during the 1962 field season in central Axel Heiberg Island, N. W. T., Canada, are discussed and comjparisons made between ice-covered and bare-ground enviornments.  Heat-balance computations for the Lower Ice Station, White Glacier, for the period 16 - 31 July, when 65 cm. of ice ablated, indicate that net radiation was responsible for 66 per cent of the total heat supplied to the glacier's surface, sensible heat 28 per cent and latent heat, in the form of condensation, 6 per cent.  Of the total amount of heat available at the ice surface about 88 per cent was consumed in the melt-process and 12 per cent used to heat the underlying cold ice.

Different methods of calculating heat balance for short periods of one or two days are critically examined, particularly some of the assumptions underlying the calculations of sensible and latent heat quantities.  Preference is given to a technique which assumes a logarithmic law for the wind speed, temperature and vapour-pressure profiles and which avoids using the measured ablation for the computation of turbulent fluxes.  It is demonstrated that short-term ablation calculated from surface-lowering observations is frequently not representative of true melt.  The conclusion reached is that with the present accuracy of measurements and techniques of evaluation, heat-balance calculations for periods of only one or two days' duration are not reliable enough to warrant the great effort involved.  (from the Abstract)
Notes: On the cover: Jacobsen-McGill Arctic Research Expedition, 1959-1962.  Forward by George Jacobsen.   Preface by Fritz Mueller, Scientific Leader.
A draft of parts of Chapters 1 and 2 was prepared by Mr. Havens, who also wrote most of Chapter 3.  Chapter 4 was written by F. Mueller and G. C. Wilmot.  The basic data presented in Appendices B and C were abstracted from field books by Wilmot and Mueller with the assistance of U. Embacher and P. Altosaar  (from the Preface).  Associated publication (article):  Havens, J. M., 1964:  Climatological notes from Axel Heiberg Island, N. W. T., Canada, ARCTIC, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 261-263 (with one graph and one table).
Table of contents: pagenum: i
class: part
title: Preface; pagenum: iii
class: part
title: List of Illustrations; pagenum: iv
class: part
title: List of Tables in Text; pagenum: v
class: part
title: Abstract; pagenum: 1
class: part
title: Introduction; pagenum: 3
label: Chapter 1
class: chapter
title: Weather Elements at Base Camp; pagenum: 7
title: Comparative Micro-climatology
class: chapter
label: Chapter 2; pagenum: 15
label: Chapter 3
class: chapter
title: Daily Heat Balance Calculations at Lower Ice; pagenum: 23
label: Chapter 4
class: chapter
title: Re-examination of the Heat Balance Calculation; pagenum: 41
class: part
title: Acknowledgements; pagenum: 41
class: part
title: References; pagenum: 43
title: Meteorological Instruments and Equipment, 1962
class: part
label: Appendix A; pagenum: 45
title: Tables of Basic Data for Various Stations
class: part
label: Appendix B; pagenum: 60
label: Appendix C
class: part
title: Tables of Data for Micro-meteorological Study and Heat Balance Calculations at the Lower Ice Station (to p. 68)