A HELICOPTER TRIP
Here comes Meade Glacier slipping its way down
its valley. Those dark lines are medial
moraines, and we are going to see one up real
close down below. Also compare these with the
ones in the section on Kahiltna Glacier.
This is located approximately across the fjord
from Haines, AK and not far from Skagway.
Look very carefully just below and to the left of
the center of the picture. Do you see the
helicopters down there? I took the picture from
another helicopter.
Here comes Meade Glacier slipping its way down
its valley. Those dark lines are medial
moraines, and we are going to see one up real
close down below. Also compare these with the
ones in the section on Kahiltna Glacier.
This is located approximately across the fjord
from Haines, AK and not far from Skagway.
Look very carefully just below and to the left of
the center of the picture. Do you see the
helicopters down there? I took the picture from
another helicopter.
Glaciers are dirty, and so are these two pictures. On the left is the valley below Meade Glacier where the
glacier apparently used to be. There might still be some ice down there, hidden below all that dirt. But
this mostly seems to be runoff meltwater from the glacier, which is farther up the valley. The red stuff
at the lower right is a reflection in the helicopter's window (I think). On the right is the dirty, silt-filled
water running off from Meade Glacier and entering the Fjord below. That is Haines, AK on the neck of
land in the background.
glacier apparently used to be. There might still be some ice down there, hidden below all that dirt. But
this mostly seems to be runoff meltwater from the glacier, which is farther up the valley. The red stuff
at the lower right is a reflection in the helicopter's window (I think). On the right is the dirty, silt-filled
water running off from Meade Glacier and entering the Fjord below. That is Haines, AK on the neck of
land in the background.
A little farther up the valley, there was this spot
where the ice had recently broken showing at
least that glacier ice can really be very dirty. It
is also blue, although it tends to turn white after
being exposed to the air. Well, white sometimes
unless it is as dirty as this surface.
The pilot was very good at navigating around this
glacier and hovering here for a minute while we
took pictures. This tour originated in Skagway,
and I just made it under the 250 pound weight
limit at which they charge you more.
where the ice had recently broken showing at
least that glacier ice can really be very dirty. It
is also blue, although it tends to turn white after
being exposed to the air. Well, white sometimes
unless it is as dirty as this surface.
The pilot was very good at navigating around this
glacier and hovering here for a minute while we
took pictures. This tour originated in Skagway,
and I just made it under the 250 pound weight
limit at which they charge you more.
OK, here is the landing zone. They had the
glacier well-scouted and picked a smooth spot.
Such glaciers can be dangerous places to run
around on considering all the cracks, crevasses,
holes, rough surfaces, and so on. But we had
good guides.
Notice that medial moraine off to the right.
There are two more on the left, a thin one and
a thick one. You can also see them in the
picture at the top of the page..
glacier well-scouted and picked a smooth spot.
Such glaciers can be dangerous places to run
around on considering all the cracks, crevasses,
holes, rough surfaces, and so on. But we had
good guides.
Notice that medial moraine off to the right.
There are two more on the left, a thin one and
a thick one. You can also see them in the
picture at the top of the page..
There. I told you it had cracks. This was
a very small one though, at least on the day
I was there, as you can see from the hands
and feet nearby.
Also notice that the glacier ice really is blue
if you go deep enough. The surface
becomes white and/or dirty, though.
a very small one though, at least on the day
I was there, as you can see from the hands
and feet nearby.
Also notice that the glacier ice really is blue
if you go deep enough. The surface
becomes white and/or dirty, though.
Liquid water running over the surface is a sure
sign of melting! After all, it was June. This
water is going to eventually make it to the bottom
of the glacier, although it will probably have to
flow through a complicated series of buried
channels to get there. It should join other
meltwater to become the dirty stuff in the
pictures above.
There has been much publicity about how most
(but not quite all) of the world's glaciers have
been shrinking for a couple of hundred years
with, in most cases, accelerated shrinking since
about the middle of the 20th century. See my
section on global warming for more about this.
sign of melting! After all, it was June. This
water is going to eventually make it to the bottom
of the glacier, although it will probably have to
flow through a complicated series of buried
channels to get there. It should join other
meltwater to become the dirty stuff in the
pictures above.
There has been much publicity about how most
(but not quite all) of the world's glaciers have
been shrinking for a couple of hundred years
with, in most cases, accelerated shrinking since
about the middle of the 20th century. See my
section on global warming for more about this.
The meltwater generally seems to find a way to
eat into the glacier. A hole like this, which
has been worn into the glacier by a stream of
water, is called a "moulin". They can be
several meters across, but we just saw little
ones. I suspect that they wouldn't take
tourists to a very big one. You would not want
to fall in; they are very deep.
And look how dirty even the top of the glacier
is.
The water looks blue because it has melted its
way into the blue ice. It is this ice that you
are seeing through the water.
eat into the glacier. A hole like this, which
has been worn into the glacier by a stream of
water, is called a "moulin". They can be
several meters across, but we just saw little
ones. I suspect that they wouldn't take
tourists to a very big one. You would not want
to fall in; they are very deep.
And look how dirty even the top of the glacier
is.
The water looks blue because it has melted its
way into the blue ice. It is this ice that you
are seeing through the water.
And speaking of deep holes, here is another
one but without running water this time. It is
just a small but deep pool of still water (I
knew that kind of water ran deep). Again, we
are seeing blue ice through the water and a
little bit of it above the water. Compare this
with the glacial lakes in the section on Kahiltna
Glacier.
one but without running water this time. It is
just a small but deep pool of still water (I
knew that kind of water ran deep). Again, we
are seeing blue ice through the water and a
little bit of it above the water. Compare this
with the glacial lakes in the section on Kahiltna
Glacier.
Finally, here is that medial moraine up close
-- in fact I was standing right in it when I
took the picture. The glacier moves a lot of
dirt and rock and eventually deposits the
stuff a long distance from where it picked it
up. That was one of the first clues that the
earth once had glaciers the size of continents
(the maxima of the ice ages). Many rocks
were found that didn't match any other rock
in the region but which did match the rocks
far to the north. A rock like that is called
an "erratic".
-- in fact I was standing right in it when I
took the picture. The glacier moves a lot of
dirt and rock and eventually deposits the
stuff a long distance from where it picked it
up. That was one of the first clues that the
earth once had glaciers the size of continents
(the maxima of the ice ages). Many rocks
were found that didn't match any other rock
in the region but which did match the rocks
far to the north. A rock like that is called
an "erratic".
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