Walk deep into the glacier

• Walk deep into the glacier

In Austria, there are around 840 almost pristine glaciers. Skiing is possible only on the eight, five of which are located in Tyrol. Of these, the Hintertux glacier is the only resort with year-round skiing area.

We were lucky enough to get deep into the ice directly! I suggest you take a virtual journey with me.

represents a glacier ice mass flow, which is continuously moving. At the top of glacier accumulates its mass. Snow that falls in the mountains, repeatedly melts and turns into a so-called "Firn snow". After about 10 years, the density of the snow becomes equal to 900 kg / m. cu. - crystals "Firn snow" transformed into glacial ice.

ice particles are continuously moving down the mountain into the valley, which eventually melt. The velocity of the ice depending on the size and characteristics of individual ice and averages from 100 to 1000 s.

But for example, in Greenland snow crystals that fall to the top of the glacier, his end attained only after 100 000 years, and in Antarctica - over 400,000! The Hintertux Glacier, this figure varies from 500 to 1000 years.

Pakistan holds the record for the fastest glacier in the world. In 1953 there was a surge, when the glaciers moved over 12 km within 3 months. The average speed was about 112 meters per day!

Due to the movement of the intermediate support ice lifts several times a year to move to their initial positions.

Glacier in all its mass does not move uniformly, for example, he has to go around the ridges and cliffs, in some places, slowing down, and in some the opposite - accelerated. This leads to stresses in the thickness of the ice and cracking. These cracks in the Alpine glaciers reach 30m. Sometimes they can be observed directly from the ski slopes

Natural Ice Palace on the Hintertux glacier was discovered in 2007 quite by accident. cave walls look fundamentals and strong but in fact they are constantly flowing. It was discovered after a precise measurement made in the period from 2007 to 2008. Since November 2008, anyone can visit the ice caves. They lead the visitor deep into the glacier 25 meters from the surface. Hintertux glacier depth in some places is 120 meters.

That part of the glacier, on which we walked only 4 years. Sometimes the ice met here are granite veins. Perhaps the glacier "licked" the stones with some rocks. In some parts of the glacier access is closed. They found rare ancient bacteria, whose impact is yet to be studied in humans.

Since the temperature inside kept at from 0, 5 to 0, 5, and ice is of such density that it can not pass water, the cavities may be formed in whole lake! When we were in the ice, like a hole in the chamber was flooded, but the summer of experts swim there in boats and divers plunge to the bottom! Uh, and extreme as they are people!