Ice thickness, ablation, and other glaciological measurements on Upper Fremont Glacier, Wyoming

Abstract

Glaciological investigations of the Upper Fremont Glacier in the Wind River Range of Wyoming were conducted during 1990–1991. The glaciological data will provide baseline information for monitoring future changes to the glacier and support ongoing research utilizing glacial - ice -core composition to reconstruct paleoenvironmental records. Ice thickness , determined by radio-echo sounding, ranged from 60 to 172 m in the upper half of the glacier . Radio-echo sounding of ice thickness at one point was confirmed by drilling 159.7 m to bedrock. The difference between radio-echo sounding depth and measured drilling depth was about 4 m. Annual ablation (including snow, firn, and ice ) measured for the 1990–1991 period averaged about 0.93 m/a. Densification proceeds rapidly on Upper Fremont Glacier . Measured densities in the near-surface parts of the glacier ranged from 4.4 x 10 5 g/m 3 at the surface to larger than 8.5 x 10 5 g/m 3 at depths exceeding 14 m. Surface ice velocity and direction were monitored from July 1990 to August 1991. Ice velocity decreased in a downslope direction. The largest measured velocity was about 3.1 m/a and the smallest was 0.8 m/a. The yearly mean air temperature of the study site during the period from July 11, 1990 to July 10, 1991 was -6.9°. Borehole temperatures from 10-m depths are 0 ± 0.4°. The warmer borehole temperatures relative to the yearly mean air temperature may be caused by the latent heat of freezing, as meltwater from the surface percolates into the glacier and refreezes.