Glacier studies 101 - Class # 2
This is the face of a glacier from a safe distance of about a half mile back. The Captain said that it was about 250 feet in height. It was an active, advancing glacier that was "calving" on a regular basis. Glaciers produce very large waves when several hundred tons of ice hit the water very quickly. It is not an old glacier due to the whiteness of the face, indicating that it had a large amount of air in it. The dark streaks are not dirt (as in pollution), as some think, but actually ground up rock. Sort of like "ground ground" which has been taken for granite.
2 Comments:
At 3:33 p.m.,
Anonymous said…
I'd love to see that "live".
Great glacier lesson.
At 4:43 p.m.,
Antique Mommy said…
When we went our Alaskan cruise several years ago we got so see some glacier calving and it is amazing beyond description. First before anything happens, as if on cue all the birds in the area scatter, then you hear "blue thunder" and then you see it slip off into the water. The power of nature is an awesome thing. Very cool picture. Maybe I'll post some of ours.
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