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Published 1950 | Published
Journal Article Open

Report of Glaciological Work on Project Snow Cornice in 1949

Abstract

It was on the initial reconnaissance flight of the 1949 season that pilot Maury King tilted the wing of the Norseman to give us a clear view of the Seward fun field. There below in solitary splendor was the windsock marking the site of our camp and cache of the previous year. One look was enough to show that the past winter had been a most prosperous one for the Seward. The windsock rose a bare seven feet above the surface, yet we knew only too well that it was attached to the end of a 21-foot pole. A subsequent excavation to uncover equipment cached at the foot of the pole showed the 1948-49 snow blanket to be 14.5 feet thick on June 20th. At an average density of 0.44, this is equivalent to 6.38 feet or 76.5 inches of water. From a number of considerations, too detailed to recount, the total precipitation from 1 July 1948 to 30 June 1949 is estimated at 80 inches. For the same period Yakutat recorded 160 inches, and these figures give some measure of the maritimity of Yakutat compared to the continentality of the Seward firn field, a scant 60 miles north.

Additional Information

© 1950 American Alpine Club.

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Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 24, 2023