Bubble Pressure in Greenland Icebergs

Abstract

A simple technique for measuring the pressure in individual bubbles of gas in glaciers is described. By this technique, bubble pressures in twenty-six west Greenland icebergs were measured. The bubbles were for the most part tubular in shape and oriented parallel, lending a fibrous and sometimes stratified appearance to the ice. Various suggestions are offered for the formation of these bubbles. Most bubbles had a pressure of 4–5 atmospheres, and pressures as high as 20 atmospheres were recorded. In closely adjacent bubbles differences of 2–5 atmospheres were often measured, which indicated diffusion tightness and lack of plasticity in the ice. When the ice surface melts, the bubbles expand at the cost of water extrusion. The various factors contributing to the maintenance of vertical walls characteristic of tabular bergs are discussed.