Let's talk about how much I love pressure ridges.
Let's talk about what pressure ridges are.
Imagine the earth's plates creating tectonic movement and forming valleys and mountains over long periods of time and scale it back to a much smaller level.
The ice shelf in Antarctica follows the same line of physics.
When the sea ice cracks, one side of ice will always be slightly heavier than the other side. Usually the heavier side sinks down into the ocean while the lighter side is pushed up over the heavier piece.
These pieces melt and freeze and melt and re-freeze throughout the summer season. Eventually sharp, dramatic ridges form in a magical crest across the sea ice.
Soon you feel like a princess walking along the frozen walls of your ice fortress...
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| Waiting for my pet dragon to fly down and rescue me |
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| A good frolic along the ice never killed nobody |
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| Check out those icicles (the icicles behind me, not the ones hanging from my nose) |
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| Some of these pressure ridges can grow up to 20 feet high |
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| That's Mount Erebus in the background - The southernmost active volcano on earth. |
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| I just love these pretty little pressure ridges!!! |
I would caution the use of dragons on the sea ice....I only went to college for Criminal Justice, however; I did take a class on Diversity in the Workplace, so I feel qualified to say, fire melts ice. I feel like I saved a life here...People use use the word "hero" too liberally, but.......
ReplyDelete"Hero" is the only word appropriate in this scenario (Plus you own a cape). Thank you for saving me from a tragic dragon/ice-melting death. I will tell my pet dragon to pick me up on Mt. Erebus where the ground is much safer.
DeleteIt was my New Years Resolution to save a life, luckily I found you with one day to spare....It's been a slow "hero" year for me. Although I did buy that cape...And I have a Christmas Cactus that I nursed back to life...kind of heroic...The world is a better place with you in it, I'm glad I could do my part.
ReplyDeleteThese photos are phenomenal, Kelly! And your commentary is hilarious! Please impart the wisdom of how you managed to get paid to travel to Antarctica onto your lowly protege Bob xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's all in the bluff, Bob. A little malarkey goes a LONG way with my employers....but seriously, the money isn't that great. However, nobody comes down here for the money!
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