Ice Stories
Exploratorium Home

Video Dispatches


Helicopter Safari for Rocks

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND-- We were there for their first day of scouting near Kangerlussuaq, and had the chance to tag along with scientists Tom Neumann and Paul Bierman again on their last day of science in Greenland, recording this video dispatch...



Meet a Meteorologist

SUMMIT CAMP, GREENLAND-- Meet Jeff Luxford, a graduate student working with atmospheric chemist and Summit veteran Dr. Jack Dibb. Before graduate school, Jeff worked as a meteorologist for five years, which comes in handy up at Summit when you're working outside all day...



Like Standing in a Bowl of Rice Krispies

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND-- Lisa and I were alone on the Greenland Ice Sheet while the scientists were doing helicopter surveys of the lakes. It was a gorgeous day when suddenly we heard more cracking and popping from the ice...



At the Lakes on the Ice Sheet

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND-- (By Mary Miller and Lisa Strong-Aufhauser) In this video, we are alone at a science camp where ice cracks can suddenly appear and drain vast lakes in less than an hour...



Cue the Rifle Shot

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND-- At first the scientists weren’t sure what was happening: a loud boom followed by reverberating cracks and pops coming from the direction of the ice-top lake. Then the water in the lake started receding and everyone realized that the ice underneath had opened up and was draining millions of gallons of water before their eyes...



Hägglund Adventure

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- (By Lisa Strong-Aufhauser) While in Kangerlussuaq, I caught a ride on an unusual vehicle going out to pick up our Ice Stories correspondent Billy D’Andrea. I headed out to interview him and see his research site...



Meet a PolarTREC Teacher

SUMMIT CAMP, GREENLAND-- Meet Craig Beals, a high school teacher from Billings, Montana, working primarily with snow photochemist Dr. Barry Lefer and his group, helping them to collect data...



How Old is the Greenland Ice Sheet?

KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND-- On his team's first day out in the field near Kangerlussuaq, Paul Bierman of the University of Vermont explains what kind of rocks they look for to help determine the last time Greenland was free of ice...



Tethered Balloon Launch

SUMMIT CAMP, GREENLAND-- In this video dispatch, meet Dr. Craig Clements from San Jose State University, a micrometereologist studying the atmosphere above Summit with an interesting-looking piece of equipment...



Greenland’s Glacier Lakes, Pt. 2

ILULISSAT, GREENLAND-- When scientists try to discover why a large glacier in Greenland suddenly speeds up, they look for all kinds of clues, including the sudden flood of water to the base of the glacier when a giant melt lake cracks the ice open. In this video, we ask scientist Ian Joughin about the significance of these floods...