SCIENTIFIC RESULTS 



87 



about twice as many bergs as tbe former. There are two small 

 glaciers just south of Torsukatak which flow into Igdloluarsuit, called 

 EkiiD-Sermia, but they calve only in small pieces and growlers, and 

 therefore are termed harmless ends. Jacobshavn was formerly be- 

 lieved to be the greatest producer of icel^ergs, but in the last few 

 years, Umiamako according to Koch, has been more productive, hence 

 Disko Bay probably does not produce as great a quantity of icebergs 

 as Northeast Bay. 



Drygalski (1895, p. 369) states that the fjords of west Greenland 

 freeze over in winter and that fast ice then prevents the bergs from 

 drifting out into Davis Strait. While the inland ice itself has prac- 

 tical! v a uniform movement the release of the icebergs, on account of 



Summer in a West Greenland Fjord 



Figure 45. — A typical summer iceberg in a nortliern fjord ol west Greenland. It is 

 during this period when the fjord fast ice disappears that the bergs are free to 

 drift out to sea. In the productive iceberg fjords several hundred icebergs are 

 often simultaneously in view. (Photograph by A. Heim. ) 



winter fast ice, has a distinct seasonal period, the whole year's pro- 

 duction being carried out of the fjords in this district during the 

 open period July to December. In late spring, under increased solar 

 warmth, the belt of fast ice which all winter has sealed the fjords 

 begins to narrow and weaken. Finally the band breaks and the 

 accumulation of ice and bergs pours out of the fjords so that the 

 . waters of Disko Bay and of Northeast Bay are choked with glacial 

 flotsam for several weeks following such events. Drygalski (1895, 

 p. 370) observed that in 1893 ^^ initial iceberg discharge occurred at 

 Jacobshavn about June 10; at Torsukatak 10 days later, and in 

 Northeast Bay about July 1. During this period great swarms of 



I ^» I'orsild n910. p. 1.50) has described this phenomenon as more or less characteristic 

 of all Dislvo Bay and Northeast Bay ice fjords, but in particular he identifies it with the 

 > behavior of Torsuliatak Glacier. 



120860—31- 



