Ice Cap and Sea Ice in North Greenland

Abstract

T ^HE Bicentenary Expedition to Northern Greenland had for its main objective investigation and survey in Peary Land, the most inaccessible part of Greenland.' It was proposed to make the outward journey along the coast and the return, late in summer when travel on the sea ice was impossible, over the inland ice. It was further planned to ascend the ice cap from the head of Independence Fjord and for mapping purposes to travel as near the coast as possible, i. e. along the edge of the ice cap. The plan was successfully carried through. Though we suffered a serious shortage of provisions we were on the other hand favored to an exceptional degree by fine weather, not being held back a single day by snowstorm or fog. Traveling near the coast, however, is troublesome for various reasons. In the first place we had to cross the great, crevassed depressions in which the fiord glaciers head, a topography with good reason ill-famed since Peary's first journey. Apart from this we had constantly to travel up and down in very rough territory. On the other hand, a journey near the edge of the ice cap presented various advantages. Often we traveled at a positive temperature, which spared us the necessity of melting ice in order to get drinking water and thus from encroaching further on our small store of petroleum. During nearly the whole journey traveling was easy because the ice was firm and hard and in most places almost without snow. To this must be added another circumstance which we had at first feared, but which subsequently proved a great facility. Our traveling route took us across the great glaciers so near their termini that all the snow was melted, hence the crevasses, though large and difficult to traverse, were visible and not treacherously hidden by snow bridges.