The glaciological and meteorological observations were carried out on the snow patches in the cirque at Tsurugisawa (36° 36' N, 13737'E) of the Hida mountain range in the central Japan during the ablation season in 1968 and 1969.
The results on the ablation and climate are presentred in this report as follows,
1) The total amount of ablation from the beginning of June to the end of September in 1968 was 607.9 g/cm at the upper part of the cirque (about 2, 740 m above sea level) and 592.1 g/cm at its lower part (about 2, 520 m a.s.l.), while the mean air temperature of the same duration was 6.7 °C and 8.4 °C respectively.
2) The seasonal variation of the ablation rate has correlation to that of the air temperature and the water vapour pressure.
3) The distribution of the air temperature and the water vapour pressure in the cirque changed distinctly at the beginning of August in 1968. This change can be considered as due to a change of the heat exchange between air and snow cover caused by the areal shrinkage of the snow cover.
4) The ablation rate, air temperature and water vapour pressure of the midsummer at Tsurugisawa Cirque were nearly equal to those at the ablation area of maritime glaciers in Alaska, Norway, Patagonia, etc.
5) It was found that the air temperature at Tsurugisawa Cirque has be correlation to that at the same height above Wajima (105 km north-west from Tsurugisawa) and that at Toyama (35 km west from Tsurugisawa). Also the wind speed at Tsurugisawa Cirque has correlation to the wind speed at the height of 700 mb above Wajima and the insolation does to the duration of sunshine at Toyama respectively.
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