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return to pdx

I am getting adjusted back to life in Portland. There are incremental steps that are taken to reacquaint one's self after being away. Much begins in Christchurch, NZ... seeing night - which feels like a blanket or ceiling over ones head; seeing children - who seem like such little people, the smell of plants, the rush of traffic (vehicles in Mcmurdo don't go much faster than 10 mph), and the bombardment of advertising.

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130 Years of Change at Dana Glacier

Dana Glacier has a rich history of repeat photography. Owing greatly to its relative ease of access from Tioga Pass, the glacier has the greatest number of repeat photographs of any glacier in the Sierra Nevada. Israel Cook Russell first photographed Dana Glacier in 1883 while conducting surveys for the USGS. Little did he know that one of his photos would be purposefully repeated 32 times over the next 130 years by those seeking to maintain a photographic record of glacier change. Dana Glacier 1883 – 2013, from Station 4. Russell documented the existence of Dana Glacier when the glaciers in the Sierra Nevada were near their recent maximum. In 1883, the glacier is in contact with the moraine and crevasses are observed indicating movement. Since that time the glacier has retreated. The first and most repeated of Russell’s photograph shows the glacier from the north shore of Dana Lake. A comparison with the 2013 repeat photograph shows that the glacier has retreated and lost surf...
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Rephotos of Mount Shasta Glaciers

I visited Mount Shasta on September 7, 2012 to reoccupy glacier photo stations established by Phil Rhodes in 1974. Phil is an expert on Mount Shasta’s glaciers and photographed the glaciers for several decades. I was fortunate to meet up with Phil for the first day of photographic surveys on Hotlum Glacier. Phil was invaluable in describing routes to stations and sharing his observations. I visited 10 of his stations at Hotlum, Bolam, Whitney, and Wintun glaciers over several days to record the station locations and rephotograph the scenes. Bolam Glacier: 1977 to 2012 The photo comparisons reveal the complex changes that have been occurring on Mount Shasta since the 1970s. Bolam Glacier receded, the Lower Wintun Glacier advanced, while others appear fairly stable. Past research has shown Whitney Glacier advancing since the 1950s through the early 2000s. The surface of Whitney Glacier appears to have lowered over the past 30 years from a photo station at 10,000 ft eleva...
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I awoke this morning to the sound of exploding rockfall from the mountain above. I unzipped the tent in time to see the peppering of boulders strike the slopes below and begin to tumble while rock dust began to cloud the area. Several boulders continued to tumble down the slopes far enough and long enough to calculate its trajectory. When all settled, a long streak of permafrost was exposed along the slope below the rockfall. An incredible way to awake on Christmas morning. Life is going well here at Lake Hoare. Work has kept me busy over the past several weeks and maintaining this blog had became far too difficult. I am doing my best to catch up on things during the two day holiday. Ive been working on maintaining weather stations, installing new instruments, and assisting Liz and Matt with their experiments. The sensors on the weather stations need to be swapped for calibrated sensors every 2 to 3 years. I visit most stations by helicopter, and others by foot.
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