A brief history of glaciology

Glacier, as a scientific research, began with mountain glaciers, and after a period of time, the study of continental ice sheets was gradually carried out. After World War II, glaciology developed rapidly due to the application of new technologies.

Primitive period

Glaciology originated from the study of glaciers in the European Alps. 1772, Boldi E first described the plasticity of glacier ice. Agassi measured the glacier movement in 1930s and later, and pointed out for the first time that the maximum speed of valley glaciers appeared in the middle of glaciers, and decreased to the source and end. Put forward the Great Ice Age theory; This paper expounds the function of glacier transportation, and puts forward the terms of terminal moraine, lateral moraine and middle moraine for the first time, which lays the foundation for glaciology.

19 At the end of the 20th century, some scholars discovered that there were motion waves propagating on glaciers. Drill 200 meters deep with a hot drill, penetrate the whole glacier, and determine that the surface of the glacier moves much faster than the bottom; Photogrammetry is used to map glaciers and observe glacier changes. The research scope has expanded from Europe to Asia and America.

Start the research stage of continental ice sheet

19 1 1 year, Koch and Wei Gena crossed the Greenland ice sheet, studied the snow layer and measured the ice temperature. Later, the thickness of ice sheet was measured by seismic method for the first time, which initiated the glaciology research of continental ice sheet. At present, the research on continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers focuses on glacier hydrology and other directions. More important are Sverdrup's observation and research on glacier thermal balance, Finsterwald's discussion on ice movement and arman's geophysical classification of glaciers.

Comprehensive research stage

After World War II, especially since 1950s, international or multinational cooperative research has greatly promoted the development of glaciology. For example, in 1957 ~ 1958 International Geophysical Year, there were 103 stations observing glaciers at the same time, which provided a lot of comparable data for the global glacier advance and retreat changes and glacier material balance. The International Hydrological Decade from 1965 to 1974, the International Hydrological Plan from 1975 and the International Antarctic Glacier Plan have played an important role in the development of glacier hydrology and glacier climate research.

The continuous application of new technologies in glaciology has promoted the development of physical glaciology. For example, the study of ice cores drilled deep in ice sheets provides a reliable basis for restoring paleoclimate and develops isotope glaciology; Using radar technology to measure the thickness of ice sheet; Monitoring snow and ice with satellite images; Telemetry technology records the extent and time of glaciers.

The study of glaciers in China started late, starting from 1958. For more than 40 years, the research team of alpine ice and snow utilization of China Academy of Sciences and the later established Lanzhou Glacier and Frozen Soil Research Institute, in conjunction with relevant units, have conducted extensive investigations on modern glaciers and some Quaternary glaciers in western mountainous areas, and initially found out the distribution and laws of glaciers in China and their influence on rivers; The classification of mountain glaciers in China is put forward. Glacier changes, avalanches, wind-blown snow, glacier debris flow and so on were studied. Some difficult problems in highway construction in mountainous areas have been solved, and some achievements, such as Everest Glacier Map and Batola Glacier Advance and Retreat Forecast in Karakorum Mountain, have reached the advanced level in the world.