Lani. Mar 13 1941 to Dec 13 2018. Rest in Peace
Comox Glacier 11 days later on August 22, 2014
A glacier forms in a place where snow builds up year after year for a long time. The key thing is that the snow does not melt away in the summer. As the snow builds up over time, its own weight causes it to compress into ice. When the ice gets thick enough, it begins to flow under the influence of gravity. Glaciers can form only on relatively flat areas, or on slopes with less than 30 degrees of pitch in the mountains; too much steeper and the snow will avalanche instead of building up to a thickness that would form into ice.
In only 11 days the ice has retreated from three places at the top of the glacier so that the top of mountain is now becoming visible. A few small areas of ice have vanished and others are much smaller. We had some warm rain a few days ago which probably melted more ice than just the hot weather.
Please pardon the fuzziness - it's a fairly hazy morning here today.
See all three photos in Shrinking Comox Glacier Album (Set)
www.flickr.com/photos/7292946@N08/sets/72157645980410590/
for more information about this global phenomenon you might want to watch The Age of Stupid at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpSdPP9b0pc
especially the second story with the elderly glacier guide in the Alps.
Our thanks for your visits, faves and comments!
Comox Glacier 11 days later on August 22, 2014
A glacier forms in a place where snow builds up year after year for a long time. The key thing is that the snow does not melt away in the summer. As the snow builds up over time, its own weight causes it to compress into ice. When the ice gets thick enough, it begins to flow under the influence of gravity. Glaciers can form only on relatively flat areas, or on slopes with less than 30 degrees of pitch in the mountains; too much steeper and the snow will avalanche instead of building up to a thickness that would form into ice.
In only 11 days the ice has retreated from three places at the top of the glacier so that the top of mountain is now becoming visible. A few small areas of ice have vanished and others are much smaller. We had some warm rain a few days ago which probably melted more ice than just the hot weather.
Please pardon the fuzziness - it's a fairly hazy morning here today.
See all three photos in Shrinking Comox Glacier Album (Set)
www.flickr.com/photos/7292946@N08/sets/72157645980410590/
for more information about this global phenomenon you might want to watch The Age of Stupid at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpSdPP9b0pc
especially the second story with the elderly glacier guide in the Alps.
Our thanks for your visits, faves and comments!