Grey Glacier, ISS Image
Grey Glacier photographed by an Expedition 15 crew member on the ISS. This glacier begins in the Patagonian Andes Mountains to the west and terminates in three distinct lobes into Grey Lake. This view captures a striking blue coloration of the glacier - this is due to absorption of visible red wavelengths, and scattering of light in the blue wavelengths as it is transmitted through the ice. Certain portions of the glacier visible in the image are indeed grey. Linear grey-brown moraines are accumulations of soil and rock debris that form along the edges of a glacier as it flows downhill across the landscape. Grey-brown patches of debris from adjacent mountainsides color the surface of the easternmost lobe of the glacier (top). Several crevasse fields are visible in the image. The crevasse patterns of Grey Glacier are complex, perhaps due to the three-lobed nature of its terminus, or end, into Grey Lake. The rugged surface of the glacier is also demonstrated by the jagged shadows cast onto the surface of the lake.
Size: 3032px × 2004px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 15, aerial, chile, crevasse, del, expedition, feature, field, geological, geology, glacier, grey, ice, image, international, iss, medial, moraine, nasa, national, paine, park, patagonia, photography, space, station, topography, torres