Austre Lovénbreen: the glacier surfaceAustre Lovénbreen is one of a series of small glaciers that flow from the mountainous spine of Brřggerhalvřya. Two main accumulation basins feed a 1 km-wide tongue, the glacier having a total length of 4.2 km. Peaks at the head of the glacier rise to 880 m (Nobilefjellet), and the snout is at about 60 m. | |||
 Telephoto of largely snow-covered Austre Lovénbreen, as seen from Ossian Sarsfjellet across Kongsfjorden. (MH) |  Aerial view of Austre Lovénbreen, still largely snow-covered in this late July 2009 image. The proglacial area is characterised by a series of debris stripes originally formed parallel to flow. (JA) |  A similar view, but from a lower elevation, taken in August 1995. The late 19th Century moraine complex is in the foreground with a braided delta in front. The snout of the glacier is in substantially more advanced position than in the previous image. (MH) |  The lower part of Austre Lovénbreen, encrusted by superimposed ice, which in this late July image has survived from the previous winter, but which will soon melt. (JA) |
 Two solitary figures on the middle reach of Austre Lovénbreen in early August 2009, as the mist temporarily clears revealing an impressive horn and flanking arętes. The surface consists of superimposed ice. (MH) |  Light grey streaks, snaking down-glacier early August 2009, contrasting with the white superimposed ice, are the hard frozen masses of slush flows. (MH) |  Supraglacial meltstream flanked by scalloped superimposed ice on the middle reach of the glacier. (MH) |  Clear-water supraglacial streams forming bifurcating shallow channels on the superimposed ice surface, looking down glacier in the direction of Kongsfjorden with Conwaybreen and Ossian Sarsfjellet on the right. (MH) |
 Meltwater stream surrounded by scalloped and rippled superimposed ice, middle reach of Austre Lovénbreen in early August 2009. (MH) |  With distance down-glacier, the meltstreams becoming progressively more incised as in this down-glacier view. Sean Fitzsimons standing alongside; Kongsfjorden in the background. (MH) |  Further down-glacier incision of the meltstreams to depths of several metres results in overhanging walls and tight meanders. (MH) |  Further melting of the glacier surface is manifested in cryoconite holes. These contain both inorganic and organic detritus, the latter indicating vigorous microbial activity. The largest hole here measured 25 cm across. (MH) |
 Deeply incised meandering stream on lower Austre Lovénbreen. The partial bridging with soft snow indicates how these features are a hazard to glacier walking. (MH) |  Lower part of Austre Lovénbreen, showing foliation derived from stratification and stripes of debris. (MH) |  Medial moraines emerging from the surface of Austre Lovénbreen, and extending as debris stripes across the proglacial area. (MH) |  Close-up of medial moraine angular debris, emerging from a point source on lower Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |
 Debris-bearing layer surrounded by coarse bubbly ice (light blue) and bubble-poor ice (dark blue) on Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Cross-cutting arcuate fractures, some interpreted as thrusts, at the eastern margin of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  Metre-scale folding of clean and dirty ice at the eastern margin of Austre Lovénbreen. (MH) |  A medial moraine on Austre Lovénbreen, with a segment washed with water, illustrating the lack of debris in the underlying ice. (MH) |
 Looking out of a small glacier portal at the snout of Austre Lovénbreen, close to the main subglacial meltwater outflow. (MH) |  Start of a ground-penetrating radar survey at the eastern margin of Austre Lovénbreen. This technique is being used to determine the geometry of englacial debris layers. (MH) | ||
| Most of these photographs were taken in July-August 2009. The glacier and its forefield have been described in the following papers: Glasser, N. F. and Hambrey, M. J. 2001. Styles of sedimentation beneath Svalbard valley glaciers under changing dynamic and thermal regimes. Journal of the Geological Society, London 158(4), 697-707. Hambrey, M. J. and Glasser, N. F. 2003. The role of folding and foliation development in the genesis of medial moraines: examples from Svalbard glaciers. Journal of Geology 111, 471-485. | |||