Culturable diversity of basal ice

Stratified cryofacies

S1 - Stratified cryofacies section, detached from the main glacier ice body

S2 - Stratified cryofacies below a dispersed cryofacies section

S2 - Stratified cryofacies. Fine sediment can be observed as well as some larger rounds clasts 

S3- Stratified cryofacies

S3 - Stratified cryofacies close-up. Notice the fine grain distribution

Dispersed cryofacies

D1- Dispersed cryofacies. On the photo Mario Toubes-Rodrigo is using a Delta Olympus XRF analyser , kindly lent by Olympus, to obtain the chemical composition of basal ice in situ.

D2 - Dispersed cryofacies 

D2 - On a second visit the weather was favourable so the clots of sediment can be observed while looking through the dispersed ice cryofacies.

 D3 & B4 - Debris band going disrupting some dispersed ice cryofactes section.

D4 - Dispersed cryofacies

D5 - Dispersed cryofacies

D5 - Close-up of the dispersed cryofacies in which the aggregates of sediment can be observed after sluicing

D6 and S3 - Dispersed cryofacies over  a segment of stratified cryofacies.

Debris bands

B1 - Debris band

B2 - Debris band

B3 - Debris band

Close-up of the debris band B3. Note the difference between the high debris content of the basal ice compared with the debris poor glacier ice, derived from the meteoric deposition  and compacting (firnification)

B4 & D3 - Debris band going disrupting some dispersed ice cryofactes section.

All samples sites at Svinnafellsjokull glacier. In green dispersed cryofacies; in blue, debris bands; and in yellow, stratified cryofacies.