Ablation polygons on snow have been examined, mainly in the Tatra Mountains, both by field observation and by experiment. The polygons are initiated under peculiar climatic conditions—mostly when the melting of snow is somewhat slow and is accompanied simultaneously by the metamorphism of snow. A thick snow cover appears to be a prerequisite of this process. A detailed analysis of the problem of dirt concentration in snow, due to ablation, reveals the major role played by adhesion in this process. The concentration of dirt is due to lateral movement of the material and this is intrinsically related to the micro-elements of the snow surface.

The origin and development of ablation polygons do not depend on the presence of dirt in the snow; on the contrary, the process of dirt concentration and its effects are dependent on the evolution of polygonal forms.

Among the important factors in the formation of melt water are: (1) The air and soil temperatures. (2) The presence or absence of debris on snow and ice. (3) The surface gradients of the glaciers. These gradients determine the areas of snow and ice in the zone where melting can occur as well as the amount of insolation. (4.) The orientation of snow and ice slopes. In general, in the Southern Hemisphere north-facing slopes receive more insolation than south-facing slopes.

The main source of the melt water is Wilson Piedmont Glacier, and the snowdrift-ice slabs are next in importance. The seasonal snowfall is not an important source, nor is the ice in the active zone. As no rain has ever been reported, all run-off is melt water.

The seasonal discharge of the Surko and Scheuren Rivers was roughly measured in 1957–58. It was found to be approximately 13 m3 s−1 d for the Surko River and approximately 19 m3 s−1 d for the Scheuren River, and it seems likely that the total seasonal discharge of all streams in the area was not far from 50 m3 s−1 d.

Thermal probes can carry instrumentation packages into polar ice sheets for geophysical investigations and long-term observations by remote measurement methods. They are self-contained surface-controlled devices. The development work at U.S. Army CRREL solved problems of materials, fabrication and heat-transfer analysis. The Philberth probe, named after its inventor, has demonstrated its performance capability in Greenland. The pendulum probe is a further development with increased performance and versatility. The probes are a tool to widen Man’s knowledge in glaciology and geophysics, and to increase his capability in seismics and possibly communications.

The measured β activities of firn samples from two sites on the Juneau Icefield are in good agreement with each other and with those of Greenland firn. A consistent pattern of β-activity variation can be identified far the fire layers from 1959 through 1962. The 1952–53 firn layer cannot be identified from the measured β activities.

An empirical formula, derived by the author for the seismic velocities of P waves in glaciers and ice caps, is used to determine the temperatures which can be deduced from the maximum and the mean vertical velocities. With the aid of several examples from previous publications, these temperatures are discussed and, as far as they are available, direct temperature measurements are compared with the derived temperatures.