kameda_2004.htm
Bulletin of Glaciological Research 21 (2004)
65-70
©Japanese Society of Snow and Ice
Stratigraphy and ice grains of a 25.3m ice core from Sofiyskiy Glacier, Russian Altai Mountains, in 2001
Takao KAMEDA1, Yoshiyuki FUJII2, Keisuke SUZUKI3, Mika KOHNO1, Fumio NAKAZAWA4,
Jun UETAKE5, Lev M. SAVATYUGIN6, Serguei M. ARKHIPOV7,
Ivan A. PONOMAREV8 and Nikolay N. MIKHAILOV8
1Kitami Institute of Technology, 165, Koen-cho, Kitami, Hokkaido 090-8507, Japan
2National Institute of Polar Research, 9-10, Kaga 1-chome, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8515, Japan
3Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, 3-1-1, Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-8621, Japan
4Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
5Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
6Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Beringa Str. 38, St. Petersburg, 199397, Russian Federation
7Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetniy lane 29, Moscow 109017, Russian Federation
8Faculty of Geography, Altai State University, Dimitrova Str. 66, Barnaul, 656099, Russian Federation
Abstract
This paper focuses on results of visual stratigraphy and ice grain analysis of a 25.3m ice core from Sofiyskiy Glacier, Russian Altai Mountains, recovered in July 2001. It was found that the ice core consists of firn, icy granular firn, ice layer, infiltration-recrystalization ice and infiltration ice. Infiltration ice consisted of thick ice layer with large ice grains of 5 to 10 mm and sparse air bubbles, and infiltration-recrystalization ice consisted of small ice grains of 1 to 2 mm. Volume percentages of the ice layer and infiltration ice are considered as an index of snow melting at the surface. It was also found that ice layer and infiltration ice are frequently observed at 7 m, 13.5 to 16 m, 18 to 19 m and 21.5 to 23.5m in depths, suggesting warmer summers within several years when snow/ice at present depths was near the surface taking account of percolation of melt water.
