C
cozzyd
Guest
I was gone for most of last month doing science in Greenland. Here are a few pictures. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/100059202@N05/sets/72157653089850734 for more.
Part 1: Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq started as a US WWII military base and is currently the largest airport in Greenland. Not too many people live there (around 500), but a lot of people come through. We were flown there by the New York Air National Guard 109th Wing (out of Scotia, NY) in an LC-130. There are also daily flights from Copenhagen and occasionally some from Iceland. Smaller planes fly to other towns in Greenland.
Just landed...
Stayed in former barracks.
What a joyful looking playground...
The non-former-base part of town.
Fortunately, the Danish warning signs are intelligible in English.
The public transportation in Kangerlussuaq appears to be excellent
The fjord, about to get on the plane to Summit Station.
LC-130's are a bit lacking in window seats.
Part 2: Summit Station
Summit station is a year-round research station on the Greenland ice sheet the ice is deepest (around 3 km). It is hundreds of kilometers from the nearest land.
About to land on the skiway.
Not enough indoor beds for all the visiting scientists, so I had to sleep in a tent.
My beard provided warmth, but also froze.
Our borehole. We were testing an antenna array for radiodetection of extremely high energy neutrinos in ice.
A falcon found its way to Summit Station and landed on one of the science buildings. Most (all?) birds that reach Summit eventually die...
So much ice...
So much sun. The sun never set while I was in Greenland. This picture was taken just before midnight on the solstice.
The building with the big sphere on it is the Big House, where there is a common area, a kitchen, a flush toilet and showers. Most of the time not working or sleeping was spent in there.
Our work tent (the borehole is behind it). On the left, the skiway is visible.
It can get quite misty (from the Big House window).
LC-130 trying to take off (it failed, and took off in the other direction instead).
Oh hey, my phone does panoramics.
Ditto
I found the grill.
Plaque.
Our ride home. (well, to Kanger).
Part 3: Kangerlussuaq surroundings. We had a day in Kanger on the way back, so we rented a vehicle and drove to the ice edge.
View of Kanger from above.
And looking the other way.
The ice edge!
Caribou (did you know Caribou and Reindeer are different names for the same animal?).
Plane wreck.
This part of Greenland is actually a little green (for a little bit).
Lake.
Wonderful spot for a picnic.
Lots of calving activity.
That one happened as we were walking away... barely missed it.
Waterfalls.
Kettle lake.
The road became impassable by car, so we started walking... and found ourselves on top of the glacier (the edges of glaciers are so dirty it's hard to tell when you step on).
On the ice sheet. Only a few hundred miles back to Summit...
Part 1: Kangerlussuaq
Kangerlussuaq started as a US WWII military base and is currently the largest airport in Greenland. Not too many people live there (around 500), but a lot of people come through. We were flown there by the New York Air National Guard 109th Wing (out of Scotia, NY) in an LC-130. There are also daily flights from Copenhagen and occasionally some from Iceland. Smaller planes fly to other towns in Greenland.
Just landed...
Stayed in former barracks.
What a joyful looking playground...
The non-former-base part of town.
Fortunately, the Danish warning signs are intelligible in English.
The public transportation in Kangerlussuaq appears to be excellent
The fjord, about to get on the plane to Summit Station.
LC-130's are a bit lacking in window seats.
Part 2: Summit Station
Summit station is a year-round research station on the Greenland ice sheet the ice is deepest (around 3 km). It is hundreds of kilometers from the nearest land.
About to land on the skiway.
Not enough indoor beds for all the visiting scientists, so I had to sleep in a tent.
My beard provided warmth, but also froze.
Our borehole. We were testing an antenna array for radiodetection of extremely high energy neutrinos in ice.
A falcon found its way to Summit Station and landed on one of the science buildings. Most (all?) birds that reach Summit eventually die...
So much ice...
So much sun. The sun never set while I was in Greenland. This picture was taken just before midnight on the solstice.
The building with the big sphere on it is the Big House, where there is a common area, a kitchen, a flush toilet and showers. Most of the time not working or sleeping was spent in there.
Our work tent (the borehole is behind it). On the left, the skiway is visible.
It can get quite misty (from the Big House window).
LC-130 trying to take off (it failed, and took off in the other direction instead).
Oh hey, my phone does panoramics.
Ditto
I found the grill.
Plaque.
Our ride home. (well, to Kanger).
Part 3: Kangerlussuaq surroundings. We had a day in Kanger on the way back, so we rented a vehicle and drove to the ice edge.
View of Kanger from above.
And looking the other way.
The ice edge!
Caribou (did you know Caribou and Reindeer are different names for the same animal?).
Plane wreck.
This part of Greenland is actually a little green (for a little bit).
Lake.
Wonderful spot for a picnic.
Lots of calving activity.
That one happened as we were walking away... barely missed it.
Waterfalls.
Kettle lake.
The road became impassable by car, so we started walking... and found ourselves on top of the glacier (the edges of glaciers are so dirty it's hard to tell when you step on).
On the ice sheet. Only a few hundred miles back to Summit...
