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| LOTS OF ICE AND SNOW Gallery 2 |
PICTURE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE: I took this on January 15, 2009 at around 10:45 AM somewhere
around Andvord Bay, which is just off of the Gerlache Strait. That is on the west side of the Antarctic
Peninsula not far from Anvers Island, location of the US Palmer Research Station. This is some typical
Antarctic Peninsula coastal scenery with a lot of ice and snow and a few spots where bare rock is showing
through. That ice cliff in front is actually a glacier front. The glacier ice deforms and slides its way
toward the water where pieces occasionally break off leaving that wall behind. That is called "calving" and
is what makes icebergs.
around Andvord Bay, which is just off of the Gerlache Strait. That is on the west side of the Antarctic
Peninsula not far from Anvers Island, location of the US Palmer Research Station. This is some typical
Antarctic Peninsula coastal scenery with a lot of ice and snow and a few spots where bare rock is showing
through. That ice cliff in front is actually a glacier front. The glacier ice deforms and slides its way
toward the water where pieces occasionally break off leaving that wall behind. That is called "calving" and
is what makes icebergs.
This one is from a little earlier that morning but still in the
same vicinity. There is some more of that ice and snow
and a glacier front in the background. That is an iceberg
in the foreground. It may or may not have come from that
wall in this picture; there is really no good way to tell
because they last for years and drift around a lot. No one
tracks them all.
same vicinity. There is some more of that ice and snow
and a glacier front in the background. That is an iceberg
in the foreground. It may or may not have come from that
wall in this picture; there is really no good way to tell
because they last for years and drift around a lot. No one
tracks them all.
Here is a picture from about 10 minutes before the one
just above. Most of the bare rock seems to be on slopes
that are very steep -- probably way too steep to hold snow.
just above. Most of the bare rock seems to be on slopes
that are very steep -- probably way too steep to hold snow.
From about a half hour before the
picture at the top of the page at a
moment when the sun tried to show
itself briefly
picture at the top of the page at a
moment when the sun tried to show
itself briefly
This is from early afternoon the same day still in the
Gerlache Strait area probably near Wiencke Island.
If you look carefully at the ice walls in the
background and on the island in the foreground, you
can se a faint blue color, which is the color of
glacier ice.
Gerlache Strait area probably near Wiencke Island.
If you look carefully at the ice walls in the
background and on the island in the foreground, you
can se a faint blue color, which is the color of
glacier ice.
On the picture to the left, (at about the same spot as
the one diredctly above) there are also hints of the
blue glacier ice in the wall near the water, but it is
very faint. Although glacier ice is blue, it tends to
revert to ordinary ice, which appears white, on the
surface. If you use a photo editor to enhance the
colors, it will really look blue, but that won't be what
it looked like in reality.
the one diredctly above) there are also hints of the
blue glacier ice in the wall near the water, but it is
very faint. Although glacier ice is blue, it tends to
revert to ordinary ice, which appears white, on the
surface. If you use a photo editor to enhance the
colors, it will really look blue, but that won't be what
it looked like in reality.
This is Anvers Island off the west coast of the Antarctic
Peninsula not far from the Gerlache Strait, where the above
pictures were taken. This island is the site of one of the
research stations maintained in Antarctica by the US. It is
the Palmer Station, which is just to the right out of this
picture. Some of the station personnel came on board to
talk about their experiences. Among other things, they said
that the area has been warming, and the climate along the
Peninsula is becoming "sub-Antarctic". One sign of this that
they mentioned was a pullback of ice from coast in some
places. Some bare ground along the shore can be seen in
the picture to the right. See Gallery 4 for more on this.
Peninsula not far from the Gerlache Strait, where the above
pictures were taken. This island is the site of one of the
research stations maintained in Antarctica by the US. It is
the Palmer Station, which is just to the right out of this
picture. Some of the station personnel came on board to
talk about their experiences. Among other things, they said
that the area has been warming, and the climate along the
Peninsula is becoming "sub-Antarctic". One sign of this that
they mentioned was a pullback of ice from coast in some
places. Some bare ground along the shore can be seen in
the picture to the right. See Gallery 4 for more on this.
Most of the time, the only place that bare ground was
visible was on steep slopes such as in the picture to the
right. But there will be some other pictures in this
collection of bare ground in relatively flat areas along the
shore.
This picture was taken during the short trip to the
Lemaire Channel from the Palmer Station on the third
Antarctic day, January 16, 2009
visible was on steep slopes such as in the picture to the
right. But there will be some other pictures in this
collection of bare ground in relatively flat areas along the
shore.
This picture was taken during the short trip to the
Lemaire Channel from the Palmer Station on the third
Antarctic day, January 16, 2009
When it comes to scenery, the Lemaire Channel is
unbelievable. It is a fairly narrow channel between
the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula and an island
called Booth Island. Just past it to the south are
Hovgaard Island and Peterman Island. Look for other
pictures of this area in other galleries, but here is one
of the ice and snow along side of the Lemaire Channel.
I took this just after our turnaround at the
southernmost point on our trip, just south of Hovgaard
Island but not quite to Peterman Island. The
turnaround was at latitude 65 degrees, 9.6 minutes
south.
unbelievable. It is a fairly narrow channel between
the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula and an island
called Booth Island. Just past it to the south are
Hovgaard Island and Peterman Island. Look for other
pictures of this area in other galleries, but here is one
of the ice and snow along side of the Lemaire Channel.
I took this just after our turnaround at the
southernmost point on our trip, just south of Hovgaard
Island but not quite to Peterman Island. The
turnaround was at latitude 65 degrees, 9.6 minutes
south.
This is another picture in the same area, taken a few
minutes before the one just above. It also has ice and
snow just about everywhere except on the steeper slopes.
minutes before the one just above. It also has ice and
snow just about everywhere except on the steeper slopes.
Gallery 1 -- Geography
Gallery 2 -- Snow and Ice Piles
Gallery 3 -- Glacier Fronts
Gallery 4 -- Glacier Retreat
Gallery 5 -- Beagle Channel
Gallery 6 -- Strange Icebergs
Gallery 7 -- (Big) Tabular Bergs
Gallery 8 -- Stranger Icebergs
Gallery 9 -- Penguins
Gallery 10 -- Wind and Waves
Gallery 11 -- Leaving a Wake
Gallery 12 -- The Southern Moon
Gallery 2 -- Snow and Ice Piles
Gallery 3 -- Glacier Fronts
Gallery 4 -- Glacier Retreat
Gallery 5 -- Beagle Channel
Gallery 6 -- Strange Icebergs
Gallery 7 -- (Big) Tabular Bergs
Gallery 8 -- Stranger Icebergs
Gallery 9 -- Penguins
Gallery 10 -- Wind and Waves
Gallery 11 -- Leaving a Wake
Gallery 12 -- The Southern Moon