380 NON-CRYSTALLINE ICE COLUMNS—MACGREGOR. 
such a column at its base be inclined to the vertical, more water 
will flow into the fissures of its lower side than into those of its 
upper side, if we assume the distribution of the maximum pres- 
sure and of the fissures to be practically the same throughout. 
The elongation of the lower side, which will be produced by the 
freezing of this water, will thus be greater than the elongation 
of the upper side ; and the column will therefore curve upwards, 
Should the conditions be such that the pressure in the upper part 
of a column is greater than in the lower part, or should there be 
comparatively few fissures in the lower part, it may happen that 
the upper part of such column will receive more water than the 
lower part, and will undergo consequently a greater elongation, 
in which case the column will curve downwards; but columns 
formed under such conditions will be exceptional, and in general 
therefore it may be expected that their curvature will be upwards. 
