Worthington Glacier, Alaska
This close-up of Worthington Glacier shows
more of their true nature. One does not realize the amount of dirt
associated with a glacier at it's base. The blackish dirt on the
left is a coating on the top of more ice. The bottoms of glaciers
scoop up dirt and rocks and push it along. From the air, most of
a glacier's base is dirt with what looks like superhighways of ice where
the flow is faster. The blueness of the ice is not an artifact.
It really is very blue. It simply is the nature of water- it passes
the shorter wavelengths of light while absorbing the longer ones.
If you could put enough water in your freezer, you would see the same color
of blue.
©1994, Jeffrey L. Cooper
