tiabunna's photos with the keyword: glacier

It was good to have some blue sky when I reached the glacier. Best viewed large. Explored.

On the walk toward the Franz Josef Glacier on New Zealand's south island. Almost all the world's glaciers are in retreat - and those in New Zealand are no exceptions. For a comparison of how much, see the PiP note, copied from an information sign. Climate change at work. Explored page 1.

Best on black. As the Antarctic ice sheet heads toward the ocean it grinds across the underlying rock, in the process being worn to the profile of the rock it crosses while also gathering powdered rock dust which causes this chocolate discolouration. This berg (larger than it may appear, at about 20M high) has capsized on reaching the ocean, making the colours and diagonal wear from rocks visible. Glaciers often pick up rocks known as "erratics" and transport them for considerable distances where, on land, they are deposited into moraines. When they are picked up by ice that becomes icebergs, they become "dropstones" and eventually fall to the bottom of the ocean - potentially thousands of kilometres from their origin. The closer shot in the insert note shows one. Explored.

Even icebergs 50M high look small from a helicopter! Flying above a heavily crevassed glacier, en route to the edge of the Plateau. Our ship (see note) is behind the central iceberg. This gives at least some feel for the immensity of Antarctica. Suggest changing "Location" to satellite view for a useful indication of place.