Solving the Vialov Equation of Glaciology in Terms of Elementary Functions

Very few exact solutions are known for the non-linear Vialov ordinary differential equation describing the longitudinal profiles of alpine glaciers and ice caps under the assumption that the ice deforms according to Glen’s constitutive relationship. Using a simple, yet wide, class of models for the accumulation rate of ice and Chebysev’s theorem on the integration of binomial differentials, many new exact solutions of the Vialov equations are obtained in terms of elementary functions.