title: Glacier surge mechanism: 1982-1983 surge of variegated glacier, alaska.
abstract: The hundredfold speedup in glacier motion in a surge of the kind the kind that took place in Variegated Glacier in 1982-1983 is caused by the buildup of high water pressure in the basal passageway system, which is made possible by a fundamental and pervasive change in the geometry and water-transport characteristics of this system. The behavior of the glacier in surge has many remarkable features, which can provide clues to a detailed theory of the surging process. The surge mechanism is akin to a proposed mechanism of overthrust faulting.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kamb
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Echelmeyer
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Brugman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pfeffer