Tectonic processes in Svalbard tide-water glacier surges: evidence from structural glaciology

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Abstract
The tectonic effects of a glacier surge differ from those of steady state because flow is driven by longitudinal stresses rather than shear stresses. The orientations of recently formed crevasses, indicating the directions of the principal stresses, have been used to investigate tectonic processes in glacier surges recorded by repeat aerial photography. Long-term, large-magnitude shifts in stress regime are demonstrated, as are short-term propagation features. Two types of tide-water glacier advance are identified, depending on the position of the surge front relative to a low effective-pressure zone at the glacier terminus.