Survey of Northeast Greenland. 403 
It is a current layman's idea that Greenland and the sea sur- 
rounding it are covered with snow and ice, to such an extent that 
at times it is hardly possible to know whether one is on sea or on 
land. However erroneous this idea may be, generally speaking, it 
can, however, not be denied that it may be justified, as far as many 
localities of Northeast Greenland are concerned. 
Not only in the summer, when the country is bare of snow, but 
also in the winter the coast line is usually very clearly defined; first 
and foremost because the snow, as a rule, does not accumulate in 
such quantities on the shore or on the ice along it, as to completely 
hide its foundation on longer stretches. That one finds oneself on 
Fig. 96. Eastern coast of Hovgaards Ø. April. The beach almost concealed 
under the snow, whilst the coast line is rather elearly defined. 
land appears as a rule, even on a level beach, from longer and 
shorter stretches bare of snow, or from the fact that rather big 
stones project through the snow. Besides, the surface of the drift ice 
is so uneven that the snow can hardly alter its character; only on 
the smooth bay ice it rather frequently occurs that the snow on long 
stretches conceals all outward traces of the foundation. It would, 
however, be quite conceivable that from a low foreshore one might 
pass across the coast line without noticing it, if it were not for the 
ice foot, the tidal pressure ridges and the tidal cracks. These pheno- 
mena, which for the greater part of the year are so characteristic of 
the coast line, are worthy of a more detailed description. 
Tidal cracks and tidal pressure ridges arise in the manner that 
part of the sea ice forms on such low water along the coast that 
finally it rests firmly on the bottom, even at high water, whereas 
