lee petersen photography

  • Search
  • blog/projects
  • recent photos
    • photo-a-day
    • archives
  • abstract
  • aurora borealis
  • forest
  • glacier/iceberg
  • landscape
  • wildlife
  • wildflowers/guide
  • explore alaska
  • travels
    • Explore Alaska
    • New Hampshire
    • Florida
  1. Explore Alaska
  2. Interior

Black Rapids Glacier

Read More
  • Black Rapids Panorama

    Black Rapids Panorama

    This photo was taken near a USGS marker above the Black Rapids Glacier. Center top you can see the Loket tributary flowing into the main branch of the glacier. The rocky moraine in between is where we camped for 15 days. The lake bottom center is a large, ice-dammed marginal lake that drains every year causing the glacier to speed-up slightly from the increased water pressure at the base. Andrew is off to the left, also enjoying this view.

    panoramaalaskaalaska rangeglacierblack rapids glacierlakesicesnowmountainshike

    From 2014-06-24

  • Refilling the Channel

    Refilling the Channel

    Water flows from the surface of the Black Rapids Glacier into a channel along a medial moraine. A few meters upstream a large moulin was draining the bulk of the water that had originally carved this passage that was a little bit over my head.

    sunsetglacierblack rapidsmountainsalaska rangealaska

    From 2013-06-30

  • What. A. Day.

    What. A. Day.

    Peaks above the Loket Tributary in the Alaska Range.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workpanoramalandscapesnowportfolio

    From 2013-04-25

  • landslide and pond

    landslide and pond

    Water backs up behind a natural dam on the Black Rapids Glacier. This dam formed from one of 3 enormous landslides that cover the entire width of the glacier. The landslides occurred in 2002 after a 7.9 earthquake on the Denali Fault that runs along the length of the Black Rapids Glacier. While the debris cover itself is not very thick, a few meters at most, the rock insulates the ice beneath it so there is less melt in the summer months compared to the surrounding ice. The height difference between the top of the debris here and the ice surface I took this photo from is due almost entirely to the difference in the amount of melt of insulated and non-insulated ice over the previous 11 years.

    lakeglacierhydrologylandsliderockslidedamalaska rangepanoramaalaskablack rapidsmountains

    From 2013-06-29

  • Atmospheric optics over the Black Rapids Glacier

    Atmospheric optics over the Black Rapids Glacier

    I photographed this awesome sight while doing field work out on the Black Rapids Glacier in the eastern Alaska Range. The view is to the southeast and you can see the Loket Tributary flowing into the main branch of the glacier center right. Living in Fairbanks (a little under 100 miles north of here) we get to see a lot of optical phenomena from ice in the atmosphere. In the winter we frequently see halos and parhelia (sun dogs). It’s pretty rare to see the tangent arc and even rarer to see a parhelic circle – the line that continues ‘horizontally’ from the sundog. At times this made a full 360° circle around our heads from camp. The stitching together of this 14 image panorama was not fun and it isn’t perfect, but I think it came out nice enough.

    daily photoparheliablack rapids glacieralaskaatmospheric opticssundoghalosunportfoliopanoramalandscape

    From 2012-04-29

  • Flying over the Loket Tributary

    Flying over the Loket Tributary

    A large glacier tributary to the Black Rapids Glacier in the Alaska Range

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2012-04-24

  • The  Turbine Otter and McGinnis Peak. First unload: April 2012.

    The Turbine Otter and McGinnis Peak. First unload: April 2012.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflyingportfolio

    From 2012-04-24

  • Pulling Radar

    Pulling Radar

    Skiers dragging radar lines across a glacier to measure ice depth.

    glacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-04-25

  • Untitled photo

    glacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-04-25

  • Untitled photo

    sunsetglacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-04-25

  • Untitled photo

    sunsetglacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-04-25

  • Bedtime

    Bedtime

    A crescent moon hangs over the Black Rapids Glacier in the Alaska Range shortly after sunset.

    sunsetglacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-04-25

  • July

    July

    Rocks insulate the snow and ice beneath as the ice melts around them. This leaves big boulders standing on thin ice platforms. Eventually they fall off, but the ones that are left standing are pretty cool. On the Black Rapids Glacier in the Alaska Range.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workportfoliorocktaluswhitebrowngraygreenphoto of the day

    From 2012-07-18

  • Glacierscape

    Glacierscape

    A small, yet fast stream near the northern lateral moraine of the Black Rapids Glacier in the Alaska Range. McGinnis Peak on the right dominates the skyline in this area.

    moraineblack rapids glacierskymcginnis peakstreamglaciersnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-07-18

  • The Supercub parked in front of McGinnis Peak.

    The Supercub parked in front of McGinnis Peak.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflyingportfolio

    From 2012-07-18

  • Inactive Moulin

    Inactive Moulin

    Moulins occasionally die - it may have closed off at depth, or may not yet be connected with the sub-glacial hydrology system. The gross looking stuff is algae.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2012-07-19

  • Slice of ice in between two enormous rock slides. The thin layer of rock insulates the ice reducing melt and leaving the debris highly elevated above the uncovered ice. These rockslides occurred at the same time after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in 2002.

    Slice of ice in between two enormous rock slides. The thin layer of rock insulates the ice reducing melt and leaving the debris highly elevated above the uncovered ice. These rockslides occurred at the same time after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in 2002.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflyingaerialportfolio

    From 2012-08-28

  • Valley glacier tucked away above the Loket Tributary. It's located close to our GPS base station. It was tough trying to figure out what the weather was going to do.

    Valley glacier tucked away above the Loket Tributary. It's located close to our GPS base station. It was tough trying to figure out what the weather was going to do.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflyingaerialportfolio

    From 2012-08-28

  • The clouds start to dissolve.

    The clouds start to dissolve.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflyingaerialportfolio

    From 2012-08-28

  • Untitled photo

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2012-08-28

  • Untitled photo

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2012-08-28

  • Meteor Peak

    Meteor Peak

    Meteor Peak in the Alaska Range. It's one of the "little ones" in this region. I don't like this photo as much viewed small on mobile - but I'm posting it anyway. It's much better if you have a big screen and can pick out all the detailed bergschrunds, crevasses, icefalls, avalanche sloughs, and such. It makes me feel so incredibly tiny.

    alaskaalaska rangeglaciericemountainssnow

    From 2012-08-28

  • Untitled photo

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Untitled photo

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Lenticulars

    Lenticulars

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Snow line

    Snow line

    Northern peaks in the Alaska Range a bit to the east of McGinnis Peak. The snow line is already descending fast at the end of August while there is still a bit of fall color in the little vegetation that exists here. It's pretty windy up high as can be seen by the fresh snow blowing off the top.

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaskaportfolio

    From 2012-08-29

  • Untitled photo

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Untitled photo

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Mt. Shand

    Mt. Shand

    Rugged Alaska Range landscape

    mt. shandflyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Looking up to Mt. Shand in the Alaska Range

    Looking up to Mt. Shand in the Alaska Range

    mt. shandflyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaskaportfolio

    From 2012-08-29

  • Shand Light

    Shand Light

    Mt. Shand (12,660 feet, 3859 meters) in the Alaska Range - beautiful in the sunlight!

    alaskaalaska rangehayes rangemountainmt. shandrocksnowsunlightwall

    From 2012-08-29

  • Untitled photo

    trinity basiniceglacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Untitled photo

    mt. auroratrinity basinfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • East side of the Trinitey Basin

    East side of the Trinitey Basin

    Look at the sparkly snow!

    trinity basinfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Glacier Basin

    Glacier Basin

    Mountains covered in ice and a dusting of fresh snow in the Trinity Basin, high up in the Alaska Range.

    Daily Phototrinity basiniceglacierblack rapidsmountainssnowalaska rangealaskaaerialflying

    From 2012-08-29

  • Trinity Basin

    Trinity Basin

    The Trinity Basin is the main accumulation area for the Black Rapids Glacier - and a pretty good solar reflector. Don't forget your glasses and sunblock!

    trinity basinfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaskaflyingportfolio

    From 2012-08-29

  • Ice-covered

    Ice-covered

    A lot of snow falls up here covering the mountains of the Trinity Basin of the Alaska Range in ice. This is part of the small remaining accumulation area of the Black Rapids Glacier. I'm amazed at how such a conglomeration of ice and snow can take the appearance of simply being draped over the mountains. Best in panorama sizes 1:2

    trinity basinfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaskaportfolioflyingphoto of the day

    From 2012-08-29

  • Mt. Shand

    Mt. Shand

    The south face of Mt. Shand (12,660 feet, 3859 meters) in the Alaska Range. That's about a mile of vertical, exposed rock.

    mt. shandfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • August - Mt. Shand

    August - Mt. Shand

    The south face of Mt. Shand (12,660 feet, 3859 meters) in the Alaska Range. That's about a mile of vertical, exposed rock.

    mountainmt. shandfalllandscapeglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Mt. Shand

    Mt. Shand

    mt. shandfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Moulins

    Moulins

    Moulins often form in crevasses, where there is already a path deep down into the glacier. If there is enough water available, they will stay open, even if the crevasse "heals" as it moves further downstream.

    moulinflyingaerialglacierblack rapidsalaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Fall colors and wind up high

    Fall colors and wind up high

    Beautiful mountain vista in the Alaska Range

    flyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaska

    From 2012-08-29

  • Aerial of the Black Rapids river

    Aerial of the Black Rapids river

    Moraine locked ponds and the silty river flowing out of the Black Rapids Glacier. This flows into the Delta River near the Richardson Highway about 4 miles downstream.

    daily photoflyingaerialfallglacierblack rapidsalaska rangealaskaportfolio

    From 2012-08-29

  • Loket

    Loket

    Flying over the Loket tributary to the Black Rapids Glacier in the Alaska Range in the Turbine Otter. This was the location of our campsite for a week in April 2013. It was quite a bit colder and windier than the previous year - like 60mph winds at -20 degrees F cold.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflyingaerialportfoliophoto of the day

    From 2013-04-21

  • Untitled photo

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield workflying

    From 2013-04-21

  • Left again

    Left again

    Our ride leaves for the last time.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2013-04-21

  • Untitled photo

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2013-04-21

  • The moon is just hanging out

    The moon is just hanging out

    The Alaska Range is quite beautiful in April, although it still gets awfully cold. The night after this the temperature dropped to -20 and the winds kicked up to 60 mph.

    black rapids glacieralaskaakmountainsglacierfield work

    From 2013-04-22

  • Photo Sharing
  • About SmugMug
  • Browse Photos
  • Prints & Gifts
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Owner Log In
© 2021 SmugMug, Inc.