sakaih_2006.htm

Bulletin of Glaciological Research 23 (2006) 77-84
©Japanese Society of Snow and Ice

Study of the internal structure of the Kuranosuke snow patch in central Japan using
ground penetrating radar survey

Hideo SAKAI¹, Yasuhiro URA¹, Takayuki NAKANO¹, Hajime IIDA², and Katsunori MUROI²
1 Department of Earth Sciences, Toyama University, Gofuku 3190, Toyama 930-8555, Japan
2 Tateyama Caldera Sabo Museum, Tateyama-machi, Toyama 930-1405, Japan

Abstract

　 We studied the internal structure of the Kuranosuke snow patch in the Northern Japanese Alps using ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey. The Kuranosuke snow patch consists of a perennial snow zone and an older ice zone. A GPR survey in Sep. 2004 elucidated the unconformity between the perennial snow zone and the older ice zone at a depth of 5 to 7 m. The thickness of the snow patch is over 20m and five gravel layers were identified in the older ice zone. The gravel layers in the older ice zone seem to decline at different angles from the unconformity, which suggests they were formed under different conditions from the present. The Kuranosuke snow patch seems slightly shallower than 20 years ago, which may be mainly caused by melting of the perennial snow zone. GPR studies may be useful for ascertaining the formation and change of the Kuranosuke snow patch, and the related paleoenvironment.