Dr. Jason Box, Gabriel Warren, and Johnny Ryan at the edge of a Moulin, one of several within a short distance from Dark Snow base.
Kangerlussuaq International Science Support (KISS), August 13, 2014:
We are all completely whipped, sore and exhausted. We’ve thankfully had the chance to shower and have a night between warm, dry, sheets.
I spent today going thru some of the material collected during the previous 12 days. There is enough here to fill out months of videos and blog posts. There will also be significant science published from our collective efforts in coming months.
To all of our supporters: Deepest thanks – I think you’ll be pleased with the products of our efforts.
One of several streams that bordered our camp site flows by the Dark Snow kitchen tent.
I’m not going to go into detail on everything that we did and saw. I’ve still got to wash clothes, pack and spend 2 days in planes and airports before I’m at my desk.
I include the pictures here as a foretaste of things that will be show up in posts and videos in coming months.
Short synopsis: it was cold, it was hard, it was exhausting, we were constantly busy, constantly pushing, very productive, and we feel we met every reasonable expectation for this year.
Looking east toward Kangerlussuaq
Dr. Marek Stibal analyzing samples in the science tent.Dr. Jason Box ad Phd student Johnny Ryan go over drone flight data in the science tent.Dr. Stibal and Box measuring reflectivity at experimental ice algae plots, just south of the camp.Low evening sun at “Magic Hour” paints the hummocks around camp in bold relief.
Gabriel Warren and Johnny Ryan prepare to launch the UAV.
There’s more. Trust me. There will be much, much, more.
My question would be, how much of the darkening is estimated to be caused by local conditions, i.e. were you at a low elevation and subject to a lot of blowing dust coming from the perimeter of Greenland as well as meltout of decades of dust or rather, was much of that darkening due to algae or aerosols traveling great distances, as from some of the recent massive forest fires at high latitudes?
My recent glacier experience has been on Mt. Hood on the White River Glacier. While out with fellow alpinists seeking crevasse walls to climb, I noticed that whereas the snow at the higher elevations of Mt. Hood still possessed a majestic white grandeur, the stuff we were stepping onto from the moraine could hardly be determined to be the bare grit of the moraine or the tongue of the glacier, hidden under a lot of scree. This glacier has been in retreat for many years
Thanks for sharing with us the images from the Arctic, look forward to reading the latest observations of the Dark Snow team. Missed the daily insights and lively feedbacks.
Good work. This makes science available to all people like me who take a real interest in climate change. http://www.climateoutcome.kiwi.nz/climate-threats.html
I think “experimental ice algae plots” tops it all 8)
Congratulations to all
You are such a tease.
(third try is a charm?)
I love the geodome tent, with windows!
Nice photos of a surreal environment! Congrats on your hard work, success, and general manly manliness. 🙂
Thanks Peter,
What struck my eye in the first photo is how dark the snow surface is. I’m comparing this image to many others of a similar nature.
http://tinyurl.com/mjmoe6v
My question would be, how much of the darkening is estimated to be caused by local conditions, i.e. were you at a low elevation and subject to a lot of blowing dust coming from the perimeter of Greenland as well as meltout of decades of dust or rather, was much of that darkening due to algae or aerosols traveling great distances, as from some of the recent massive forest fires at high latitudes?
My recent glacier experience has been on Mt. Hood on the White River Glacier. While out with fellow alpinists seeking crevasse walls to climb, I noticed that whereas the snow at the higher elevations of Mt. Hood still possessed a majestic white grandeur, the stuff we were stepping onto from the moraine could hardly be determined to be the bare grit of the moraine or the tongue of the glacier, hidden under a lot of scree. This glacier has been in retreat for many years
Really looking forward to the coming videos, especially the drone action.
Hope you did some selfies with it too!
Thanks for sharing with us the images from the Arctic, look forward to reading the latest observations of the Dark Snow team. Missed the daily insights and lively feedbacks.
nice.