The steam drill runs off compressed gas (~jetboil canisters). Water/snow is heated to produce steam. The hose is pressed vertically downward through the snow/ice. An aluminum stake is placed into the hole. By returning over one or more seasons, we can quanitfy how much the glacier is accumulating (the stakes are buried deeper) or shrinking (more of the stake is showing).

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Photo credit: © Natural History Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: alaska, america, american, gps, instrument, land, lands, mountains, national, park, parks, public, service, survey, surveyor, theodolite