THE VARIATIONS OF GLACIERS. XI^ 



HARRY FIELDING REID 



Johns Hopkins University 



The following is a summary of the Tenth Annual Report of the 

 International Committee on Glaciers.^ 



REPORT ON GLACIERS EOR 1 904 



Swiss Alps. — Of the ninety glaciers under observation in Switzer- 

 land, seventy-three were measured in 1904. Five are uncertain, and 

 the others are retreating or are stationary ; none are surely advancing. 

 We therefore see that there is a still greater tendency to retreat this 

 year than last. The temperature in 1904 was markedly above the 

 normal, and this undoubtedly had some influence on the retreat of the 

 glaciers. 3 



Eastern Alps. — The tendency to retreat is nearly everywhere noted. 

 Of fifty-one glaciers observed, forty-four are retreating and only four 

 actually advancing. Here also we find an increased tendency of 

 the glaciers to recede. In the Ortler group the Duldenferner has 

 advanced 1 1 meters since last year, but the others have been retreating 

 at the rate of from 3 to 10 meters a year. The Fiirkeleferner has been 

 retreating much faster, namely, 31.7 meters per year since 1899. In 

 the Oetztal the retreat is also general at the rate of from 10 to 20 meters 

 per year. The Mittelbergferner has retreated 119 meters since last 

 year; the year before that its retreat was ^t^ meters. The Mitterkar- 

 ferner has advanced t^.t^ meters per year since 1901. The Vernagt- 

 ferner is about stationary, but its rate of motion has diminished, and 

 a retreat will probably be reported soon. The velocity of the Guslar- 

 ferner has also diminished. On the other hand, the motion of the Hin- 

 tereisferner has slightly increased, but the end has retreated 20.6 meters 

 since last year. All the glaciers of the Stubai group are retreating from 



1 The earlier reports appeared in the Journal of Geology, Vols. III-XIII. 



2 Archives des sciences physiques et naturelles (Geneva, 1905), Vol. XX, pp. 62- 

 74, 169-90. 



3 Report of Professor Forel and M. Muret. 



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