3 February 2012 Snapping on the Plane

Who takes photos out an airplane window?

…and even out the windows from across the aisle?

Imagine flying when the skies are crystalline clear, the landscape is full of mountains, volcanoes, glaciers, and winding rivers.

My 12-hour trip from Washington, DC to Fairbanks was filled with breathtaking beauty. I saw the landscape of our country change as the plane traveled west and then north. From flat plains to snow covered high peaks, it is as varied as colors in a large crayon pack. Seeing it from above, I can begin to understand the history of the earth’s surface. It is earth science, especially the study of landforms and waterways, but not from a book or video.

I finally arrive in Fairbanks, the beginning of another PolarTREC experience, as I am to attend the orientation for teachers who will travel with scientists into polar regions. These teachers will be apart of a team as they work to collect science data in the field. I will travel this summer with Dr. Lee Cooper and Dr. Jackie Grebmeier on the USCGC Healy, an icebreaker, into the Arctic Ocean to collect data about the environment including what lives in the mud under the water.