ice-floor

Over the frozen surface of the river it flowed and wore at the shore-bound ice-floor.

The Promise A Tale of the Great Northwest 1921

The plummet ran out 115 feet of string, and struck the slope of snow, down which the descent to the cave must be made, about 6 feet above the junction of the snow with the floor of the glacière, which was visible from the S. side of the edge of the pit; so that the total depth from the surface of the rock to the ice-floor was 121 feet.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

If the ice-wall goes straight up, and the roof is formed of the ice-floor alone, then it is a very remarkable feature indeed.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

Into this fissure the ice-floor streamed; and Rosset held my coat-tails while I made a few steps down the stream, when the fall became too rapid for further voluntary progress.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

In one of the lower parts of the cave, where darkness prevailed, and locomotion was only possible on the lowest reptile principles, M. announced that she could see clear through the ice-floor, as if there were nothing between her and the rock below.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

The ice-floor of the first chamber is described as consisting of a 'coarse-grained' material.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

I had placed two thermometers at different points on my first entrance -- one on a drawing-board on a large stone in the middle of the pond of water which has been mentioned, and the other on a bundle of pencils at the entrance of the end chapel, in a part of the cave where the ice-floor ceased for a while, and left the stones and rock bare.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

It has been suggested to me that possibly water accumulates in the time of greatest thaw to a very large extent in the lower parts of the cave, and the ice-floor is formed where the frost first takes hold of this water.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

But the slope of the ice-floor is against this theory, to a certain extent; and the amount of water necessary to fill the cavity would be so enormous, that it is contrary to all experience to imagine such a collection, especially as the cave showed no signs of present thaw.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881

It was to be observed also in many parts of the ice-floor itself.

Ice-Caves of France and Switzerland 1881