Dr. A. P. Young—Glaciation of Navis Valley. 253 
KaRWENDEL GEBIRGE. 
Professor Rothpletz has called attention to the corries! of the 
Karwendel Gebirge, and much can be learnt from his work? and 
the large scale-map which accompanies it. 
Interpreted according to the method here used, the corries of the 
outermost chains of the Karwendel give evidence of one or two snow- 
lines at a lower level than those observed in the Navis district. The 
Great Soiernkessel on the north side of the ridge is a characteristic 
corrie. ‘he floor at 1546 metres is marked by a lake with a dam of 
standing rock.* The ridge at the back bears several summits higher 
than 2000 metres, the highest, the Soiernkarspitz, reaching 2260 metres. 
This indicates a long stand of the snow-line in the neighbourhood of 
1700 metres. 
The Krapfenkar and Mondscheinkar, also in the ‘ Vordere Kar- 
wendelkette’, have floors at 1700 or 1800 metres, under ridges of 
2100 metres, indicating a stand of the snow-line at 1850 metres 
nearly. The floors appear to be ill-defined, and the stand in question 
is probably to be referred to one of the older glaciations. The higher 
lake of the Soiernkar at 1836 metres may belong to this stage. 
In the ‘ Hintere Karwendelkette’, south of the last-named ridge, 
are several corries with floors at 2100 to 2300 metres. The summits 
on the ridge reach heights of 2550 to 2750 metres. This requires 
a snow-line at 2350 metres or higher. These corries may be companions 
of the Griibl and Schafseiten group of the Navistal. 
Traces in other parts of the Alps of the 2650 metre snow-line should 
be sought in the first instance on ridges of the same height as the 
Tarntaler Kopfe (Reckner, 2891 metres) and at the same distance 
from a high snowy range as Tarntal is from the Olperer. 
About 3 kilometres south of the Sonklarspitze in the Stubaital 
Alps is a ridge of the required height. Several summits reach 
2880 metres, and one, the Scheiblehner, rises to 2991 metres. Just 
below is a large lake, the Schwarzsee, 2548 metres above sea. This 
lake-basin may well be a contemporary of the corrie of the Upper 
Tarntal. The above details are taken from the Austrian General- 
stabskarte, Sheet Solden. 
The Scheiblehner is nearer to the Central Alps than the Tarntal, 
and according to analogy the corresponding snow-line should be 
somewhat higher. More precise determinations of levels may show 
this to have been the case. 
DernupatTion UNDER Firn anp Snow. 
On the slopes of snow-covered mountains there must be a belt of 
the land surface at which the frequency of the oscillations of 
temperature about the freezing-point of water isa maximum. (Here 
1 The corrie is a feature which gives the motive for topographical names. The 
equivalents for ‘ corrie’ in other languages will be useful. They are: Welsh ewm, 
Norwegian or Danish Bodt, pl. Bodter, German Kar, pl. Kare, also circus, French 
cirque, Spanish hondon, Indian (Quecha) ewchyu; the last two names are used in the 
Equatorial Andes (W. Reiss). W. Reiss & A. Stiibel, Das Hochgebirge der Republik 
Ecuador, 1902, ii, p. 164. 
2 A. Rothpletz, Das Karwendelgebirge. 
Setbid.. p: 0e 
