ABSTRACT

Much of the northern coast of the Northwest Territories in Canada, the European part of Russia and the north part of Western Siberia consist of lowlands. Massive ice can also occur in ice caves, some of which can be very large. Their origins are varied, but there is a definite cycle of evolution dependent on the medium to large scale fluctuations in mean annual air temperature. This chapter examines the origins and characteristics of these massive icy beds, together with their suggested possible origins. In all probability, there have been multiple processes occurring, each under specific environmental conditions. Many of the massive icy beds that have been studied in detail are found close to the margin of the maximum extent of the Wisconsinan ice sheets which is believed to have occurred 30–15 ka, depending on the local glacial history. To be glacial ice, the massive icy bed must occur in an area that underwent glaciation in the past.