Spring runoff on shore-fast lake ice in a tundra lake

Location: Southwestern Nunavut, Canada; NTS 55L Kaminak Lake

This is a photo of shore-fast ice submerged in spring runoff adjacent to domed offshore ice which has been raised by spring runoff flowing into ice-covered lake. This is a closer view of the phenomenon illustrated by images 0047 and 0119. Traces of rib-and-trough structures (see explanation of image 0060) can be seen through the ice and water. When the buoyancy of the ice pan creates a force strong enough to break the freezing bond of the shore-fast ice, the water resting on the surface will be redistributed across the whole ice pan or will pass into the unfrozen lake through holes in the ice or over the edge of the flattened pan.

Updated 04/09/2010 AW