NEW PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF GREENLAND 47 



These facts quite naturally led me to a closer study of the altitudinal 

 conditions of the inland ice cap, in order to ascertain, if possible, 

 an actual connection between the two coastal profiles. 



The material from which we can form some idea of the altitudinal 

 conditions of the inland ice is extremely slight. In recent years, 

 however, some journeys have been made across the country, which 

 gain significance in this connection. Farthest south we have 

 Nansen's journey in about 65° N. lat., with 2,700 meters as its 

 greatest height. This is succeeded by De Guervain's journey 

 (about 68° N. lat., 2,500 meters), J. P. Koch's journey (about 

 75° N. lat., 3,000 meters), Knud Rasmussen's (i) Thule expe- 

 dition (about 79° N. lat., 2,200 meters), and (2) Thule expedi- 

 tion (about 81° N. lat., 1,200 meters). Peary's journeys in 1892 

 and 1895 cannot be used for our purpose, as he only states few 

 altitudes in quite general terms. (On his map no heights are given.) 

 One more journey, however, comes into consideration, viz., 

 Nordenskiold's famous expedition in 1870. After Nansen's journey 

 Mohn calculated Nordenskiold's material, and thought he was 

 able to ascertain therefrom that if Nordenskiold had gone straight 

 across the inland ice his greatest height would have been only 

 2,360 meters. This point would be situated some distance north of 

 De Guervain's route. Hence, looking at the figures at hand, we 

 have from south to north 2,700, 2,500 (2,360) meters south of 

 70° N. lat., and 3,000, 2,200, 1,200 meters north of 70° N. lat. 

 The figures have been marked in Figure 3, where the two (here 

 somewhat diagrammatic) coastal profiles are seen and the inland 

 ice profile in the middle of Greenland is divided into two halves by 

 a Hne passing through the highest points of elevation on the inland 

 ice reached on the individual journeys. 



As will he seen, there is a distinct depression right across Greenland, 

 a depression which shows itself not only in the altitudinal conditions 

 of the inland ice hut also appears plainly in the topography of hoth 

 the east and west coasts. 



n. ALTITUDINAL CONDITIONS OF THE INLAND ICE CAP 



The profile of the inland ice cap (Fig. 3) shows that in Greenland 

 there are two centers of glaciation, a large one in the north, and a 



