SURFACE COLORING OF GLACIERS FOR AIR PHOTOGRAPHY

To make glacier mapping possible in white firn areas where stereo-effect is difficult to obtain, a large number of surface markers were placed on the glacier before air photographs were taken. Experiments proved that 3- to 5-kg powdered dye (yellow or brown ochre, or lamp black), packed in paper bags, made excellent surface markers when thrown from between 50- and 100-m elevation above the glacier surface. Color circles, applied by hand, also proved to be a good means for identifying ablation stakes, etc., in the firn area. An example of a map is given where the construction of contour lines was based upon the easily determinable dye markers that were clearly visible on vertical photographs taken from 7 300-m altitude.