Abstract
THE rapid advance of the Otto Fjord Glacier reported by Hattersley-Smith1 seems to be very similar to the catastrophic advances which happened in the Alaska Range2 and in the Andes of Santiago3. As observed on the Muldrow Glacier, the flood of the lower part of the glacier is associated with a collapse of the upper one. It is a slip caused by a reduced friction on the bed-rock. It has nothing to do with the real floods observed on temperate glaciers after a sequence of wet years4.
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References
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LLIBOUTRY, L. Sub-glacial ‘Supercavitation’ as a Cause of the Rapid Advances of Glaciers. Nature 202, 77 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/202077a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/202077a0
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