288 CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE GLACIAL EPOCH. 



plateau-like area is occupied by snow, or snow passing into the condition of 

 neve, and from the edges of the mass down through the gorges and valleys 

 leading to a lower level tlie ghiciers descend, sometimes in great niimbers, 

 from one continuous mass oineve* The largest of these is that of Jiistedal, 

 which rests on a high plateau separating the Sognefiord fioni the more 

 northern districts of the Sondfiord and the Nordfiord. The elevation of this 

 plateau increases from the southwest towards the northeast, and is from 

 4,600 to 5,400 feet above the sea-level. The culminating sunnnit upon it is 

 Lodalskabe, 6,811 feet in elevation ; others ar.e from 5,600 to 6,400 feet. 

 The entire area occupied by the Justedal snow (or neve) mass and the gla- 

 ciers which are connected with it is estimated at 580 square miles, or more 

 than five times as much as the whole glacier system and snow area of the 

 Bernese Oberland. Twenty-four glaciers of the first class and hundreds of 

 smaller ones carry the accumulating snow down to a lower level. The large 

 glaciers descend to the bottom of the valley towards which they move, and 

 do not originate except where there is a deep gorge or valley leading into 

 the heart of the mass. The snow on the plateau is described by Professor 

 Sexe as having a granular structure ; in fact it is neve, and is so called in his 

 description.! The largest glacier issuing from the Justedal neve is that of 

 Lodal, which descends from the Lodalskabe, and from Snehi^tten, a point a 

 few miles farther south. In its widest part this glacier has a development of 

 nearly 4,000 feet; its length is about five miles. 



Fondalen is another of these snow-covei'ed plateaux, nearly equal in size 

 to Justedal. It is, however, considerably farther north — in 66° -67°, namely 

 — and from it the glaciers are said to descend to the sea. 



Still another neve field is that of Folgefon, which occupies a plateau at an 

 elevation of about 5,000 feet, and has an area of somewhat less than a hun- 

 dred square miles. From it descend three glaciers of the first rank, and a 

 great number of those of the second order. 



The delicate balancing of the conditions necessary to the accumulation of 

 permanent snow, or neve fields, and the formation of glaciers, is well illustrated 

 in the Norwegian mountains. For instance, Sneebrteen Folgefon with an 

 area of nearly a hundred square miles is, as already mentioned, a great 



* The most trustworthy infoimation in regard to the K^u^-fields and glaciers of Norway is to be found in the 

 publications of the University of Norway, especially those of Kjerulf and S. A. Sexe. 



t "Sneebraen Justedal " — the title of this work — is translated hy him " Le Neve de Justedal." Isbrie is 

 the equivalent of glacier, en being the definite article. 



