tracing the terminus of the glacier Options

[Robert_Oddo]

We were back up to the glacier again today. It was a beautiful day, air temps around 5 degrees C with a wind out of the northeast. Tasks included measuring the ablations stakes, checking on the level loggers and tracing the terminus of the glacier. Using a GPS, we walked around the end of the glacier which sounds easy, but actually there were many obstacles that we had to overcome before we could complete this task. There are stream channels along the sides of the glacier that are raging right now which eat away the ice. They create hollow spots under the ice and one must be careful where one walks. In addition, since the glacier is covered with much debris, it is hard to tell where it ends. There are also streams and rivers to cross. So by the end we were pretty dirty and wet. Other groups continued to profile the lake using a sea cat which is a pretty amazing device which you drop in the water and then it measures, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and pH. You can learn a lot of things about the lake quickly using this device.

Our evenings are packed full with presentations from various people looking at different questions concerning the valley. There is a lot of energy here as different researchers bounce ideas off each other. As the data continues to come in this summer, we are learning a lot about the processes that form the sediment cores in the lake.


we check in on the hour for saftey reasons


sea cat We use this to make various measurements in the lake


Using the GPS to trace the terminus of the glacier


Waling the glacier with the GPS

[Janet_Warburton]

Hi Bob!

What great pictures! You look like you are in your element with a gun, radio, and GPS. Nice to see a GPS "in action"! I'm sure you'll have lots of great teaching ideas when you get back to school. Keep up the great journals and cool photos - you really have a knack for showing how equipment is being used!

Janet

[Robert_Oddo]

Thanks Janet. We are having a lot of fun with the GPS units here.
Bob