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glacier measurements and the wind

I spent this past week conducting glacier mass balance measurements. This is a formal was of saying that I measured the height of bamboo stakes (in mm) that are positioned on surface of the glaciers. I also dig snow pits to determine the loss or gain of snow on the glaciers. Joining me were Liz Bagshaw (Bristol, UK) and Dylan Taylor, our field mountaineer. The weather had been cold (-20 C) and cloudy leading up to our measurements. The day Liz and Dylan joined me the sky cleared. We have had 7 days of clear blue sky. Check out Dylan's blog to hear more about our week (click here).

The temperatures have also improved (-12 C) but the winds have been strong. A katabatic wind blew down valley for 12 hours, gusting up to 42 knots. Today the up-valley (coastal) winds have been arguing with the down-valley (polar plateau) winds. The flags around camp and on the glaciers appear to be the referees. We people seem to get caught in the middle.

I made the best of the first katabatic wind storm by grabbing the kite Rhonda gave me for graduation. I have named the kite Schmitz. After bundling myself up, I headed out to Lake Hoare. Schmitz took to the air at once. I haven’t had consistent strong winds this good since the first time Rhonda and I took the kite out to Hood River. I flew for about 20 minutes before I decided that the sound generated from the kite might be keeping people awake in their tents. Looking forward to the next flight.

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