458 FARTHEST NORTH 



to find that the ice had increased to 2.76 metres, not- 

 withstanding that it would now diminish several centi- 

 metres daily from surface melting. I bored in many 

 places, but found it everywhere the same — a thin, some- 

 what loose ice mass lay under the old floe. I first 

 thought it was a thin ice-floe that had got pushed under, 

 but subsequently discovered that it was actually a new 

 formation of fresh-water ice on the lower side of the 

 old ice, due to the layer of fresh water of about 9 feet 

 9 inches (3 metres) in depth, formed by the melting of 

 the snow on the ice. Owing to its lightness this warm 

 fresh water floated on the salt sea-water, which was at a 

 temperature of about —1.5° C. on its surface. Thus 

 by contact with the colder sea-water the fresh water 

 became cooler, and so a thick crust of ice was formed on 

 the fresh water, where it came in contact with the salt 

 water lying underneath it. It was this ice crust, then, 

 that au2:mented the thickness of the ice on its under side. 

 Later on in the summer, however, the ice diminished 

 somewhat, owing to melting on the surface. On July 23d 

 the old ice was only 2.33 metres, and with the newly formed 

 layer 2.49 metres. On August loth the thickness of the old 

 ice had decreased to 1.94 metres, and together the aggre- 

 gate thickness to 3.1 7 metres. On August 2 2d the old ice 

 was 1. 86 metres, and the aggregate thickness 3.06 metres. 

 On September 3d the aggregate thickness was 2.02 me- 

 tres, and on September 30th 1.98 metres. On October 

 3d it was the same; the thickness of the old ice was 



