Water within glaciers and ice sheets has a strong potential to influence ice velocity and, ultimately, the rate of sea-level rise. But so far direct measurement of the magnitude and characteristics of water stored within glaciers has proved difficult. Here, a combination of in situ borehole measurements and radar and seismic imaging has been used to show that there is an extensive network of basal crevasses in the Bench Glacier in Alaska. The crevasses hold water equivalent to at least a decimetre layer.
- Joel T. Harper
- John H. Bradford
- Toby W. Meierbachtol