Anton Larson Bay
We finished our day at the most spectacular site, Anton Larson Bay on the northwest part of the island. We got there on the gravel roads that were typical of Kodiak. Here the scenery is dominated by jagged peaks, fjords, and wide U-shaped valleys. These are features left after the retreat of glaciers, ten thousand years ago.
Figure 1: The coast of Kodiak Island.
During the height of the glacial period, most of the islands were covered by glaciers that plucked, carved, and deposited the landscape. The disappearance of the glaciers is recent enough that the geologic features are still sharp and unsmoothed by erosion.
Figure 2: Our day ended with the sighting of a bald eagle. Its small in my picture but it was quite a sight. I have never seen a bald eagle in California.
That evening we returned to the hotel and enjoyed dinner with other cruise participants. Although many of us were fro SIO, there were others from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI for short), the University of Florida, and Britain. In addition to seeing the world by going there, science also brings people together from all across the world. After all, I am a graduate student at Scripps, from Spain, going on an expedition to Alaska, meeting people from Britain. What a small world.
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A C T I V I T I E S
• Activity 2.5a
The Great Ice Age
Moraines: What is a moraine? Click on the image below to learn more about this glacial term.
The above image is cited fully in the activity link.
Glacial extent: To what extent did glaciers cover North America in the last ice age?
Glacial extent diagram
• Link
Kenai Fjord National Park
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