Ice
This summer I will be learning a great deal about ice. We'll be studying how glaciers are melting and the process by which they lose the sediments they carry as they melt. And we'll be looking at what this information can tell us about climate change.
Ice is such an ordinary thing, but it has fascinating properties.
It is solid water, and yet it can flow. Glaciers are literally flowing rivers of ice! It is used to cool things down, and yet it is an amazing insulator – an igloo can keep in warmth quite effectively.
This week in Fairbanks we've had plenty of exposure to ice. But the highlight was the ice sculpture festival which we had a chance to witness this evening. Watching the ice carvers again reminded me of what an interesting substance ice is. The carvers used all manner of tools to work the ice. They started with chain saws, then moved to scrapers, picks and files. Some even used clothes irons to melt and polish the surface after carving. The results are astounding! It is also remarkable to consider that these sculptures are entirely temporary. A month from now, they will be gone...
An ice carving of a bear at the Ice Sculpture competition
Sitting atop an ice bench with my friend the polar bear
Notice the fine detail in the leopard
Much of the ice carving is done with a chain saw
Finer detail is done with a scraper
Precision work is painstaking. This carver spent a long time on the detail of the face in this angel.