In March, 1979, core drillings were made on Vernagtferner (Oetztal Alps, Austria). The entire core I (81 m) was divided into 2.5 cm sections, from which 2H and 180 measurements were made. The measurements on core II (45 m) were made only along selected sections. A summary is given of the changes which occur in the deuterium excess d due to evaporation or melting in a snow cover. The resulting oscillations in excess d values are then used for dating the ice in core I. These oscillations in excess d resolve the yearly firn and ice layers better than the corresponding oscillations in the 2H or 180 content. An age of between 75 and 83 years, and a corresponding average yearly accumulation rate of between 0.85 and 0.77 m water equivalent was calculated for the core. Although a comparison of the isotope contents in core J with temperature data from Vent (Oetztal) yields a discrepancy of four years, the rise in temperature in the second half of the 1940's is clearly reflected by a corresponding rise in isotope content along the core. The results of these isotope analyses are also compared to results from an earlier core drilling on the Vernagtferner, as well as from a core drilling on the cold Grenzgletscher, Switzerland.