La Gria glacier
Date
1845
Sitter
James David Forbes (1809 - 1868, British) , Physicist
Creator
James David Forbes (1809 - 1868, British) , Physicist
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (print): 95mm
width (print): 73mm
height (page): 380mm
width (page): 255mm
width (print): 73mm
height (page): 380mm
width (page): 255mm
Subject
Description
Sketch of the glacier of La Gria, near the Chamonix Valley, France. Behind, Aiguille du Goûter, the 3,863-metre mountain in the Mont Blanc range.
Figure 8 in the manuscript paper, inscribed below: ‘Glacier of La Gria or Bourget’.
Published as figure 9 on plate 4, illustrating the printed paper: ‘Illustrations of the viscous theory of glacier motions. Part 1. Containing experiments on the flow of plastic bodies, and observations on the phenomena of lava streams’, by J. D. Forbes, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol.136 (1846), pp.143-155.
The accompanying text states that: ‘I have found this variation from concave to convex depending upon circumstances, alike in glaciers and lava streams. Some very highly inclined small glaciers existing at considerable height, and therefore very hard and consistent, are, nevertheless, deeply concave from end to end, the slope compensating for the stiffness of the matter. Such is a beautiful glacier named, as far as I can learn, La Gria or Glacier de Bourget, which descends from the Aiguille du Gouté towards the valley of Chamouni.’
James David Forbes (1809-1868) British physicist and geologist was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1832.
Figure 8 in the manuscript paper, inscribed below: ‘Glacier of La Gria or Bourget’.
Published as figure 9 on plate 4, illustrating the printed paper: ‘Illustrations of the viscous theory of glacier motions. Part 1. Containing experiments on the flow of plastic bodies, and observations on the phenomena of lava streams’, by J. D. Forbes, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol.136 (1846), pp.143-155.
The accompanying text states that: ‘I have found this variation from concave to convex depending upon circumstances, alike in glaciers and lava streams. Some very highly inclined small glaciers existing at considerable height, and therefore very hard and consistent, are, nevertheless, deeply concave from end to end, the slope compensating for the stiffness of the matter. Such is a beautiful glacier named, as far as I can learn, La Gria or Glacier de Bourget, which descends from the Aiguille du Gouté towards the valley of Chamouni.’
James David Forbes (1809-1868) British physicist and geologist was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1832.
Associated place