Summary
Oversnow traverses have collected a variety of glaciological measurements around the interior drainage basin of the Lambert Glacier, East Antarctica (longitudes 54° - 78° E, latitudes 67° - 76S), between 1989-90 and 1994-95. The main traverse route covers approximately 2000 km with elevations in the range 1000-3000 m. This report details the results of surface mass balance, 10-m firn temperature, and stable isotope, density, microrelief, and stratigraphy measurements made over the entire traverse route. The average surface mass balance over the major portion of the route above 2000 m elevation is 76 (s=74) kgm-2a-1 (approximately 190 mm of snow equivalent per year). Spatially averaged snow surface mass balance (30 km smoothed) within the basin varies from lows around 30 kgm-2a-1 to highs of 150 kgm-2a-1, major spatial changes in the net balance pattern being controlled primarily by topography. Interannual variability for the basin is high indicating that measurements taken over several years provide the best information on average annual accumulation rates. Density of the top metre of firn varies from 460 kgm-3 near the coast, decreasing inland to 340 kgm-3. Data from shallow cores also provide valuable information on the physical properties of the near-surface firn, but give no reliable estimate of past accumulation due to the overall low accumulation regime and wind redistribution which disturbs annual layers.