Caught In The Act

An unprecedented experiment in time-lapse photography reveals how quickly glaciers are melting around the world

By Kim Castleberry, Photography By James Balog

Labels: Locations

This Article Features Photo Zoom

An image taken from aboard a helicopter flight to visit camera sites at the Ilulissat Icefjord Glacier, Greenland.

“Nothing in any of that prior experience put me in a position for thinking that you could see these monumental changes happening so quickly,” he explains, “at least not in an environment that you expect to be static. With volcanoes or earthquakes, change is dramatic and quick. That’s not the case with glaciers.”

This blend of art and science is an enormous undertaking with journalists, scientists, engineers and artists all working together to create what could become a highly valuable scientific tool for future research and environmental activism. Through a complex solar-powered system of Balog’s own design, the cameras, which are Nikon D200s, take nearly 4,000 images a year. On overcast days and during long winter nights, they operate off of batteries. Each camera is placed inside a protective Pelican hard case and is supported by a Bogen tripod head. The setup is then mounted to a configuration of aluminum and steel anchors secured by stainless-steel aircraft-cable guy wires. Each contraption weighs more than 70 pounds.

With the weather in all of these environments being so extreme (170 mph winds, minus-40-degree temperatures, heavy snowfall), a satellite system that was designed and built exclusively for EIS monitors the cameras’ operating systems daily. In March of 2007, the first cameras were deployed in Iceland. To get the cameras into position, the team had to overcome hurricane-force winds, blizzards and pouring rain. A couple of months later, the first batch of images was downloaded, and the change they showed was stunning, Balog recalls. Cameras were later set up in Greenland, Alaska, the continental U.S. and the Alps in May, June and September of that year.

Last spring, teams were sent back out to check on how the cameras had handled the winter. With conditions this harsh, damage was expected. But the systems had held up so well, it came as a surprise when one positioned on the Sólheimajökull Glacier in Iceland was destroyed by a rockslide. The images collected from that site are so vital that the camera was quickly replaced.

A block of 500- to 700-year-old ice calved from a glacier in Jökulsárlón, Iceland.

Since the weather presents such a challenge, images are downloaded as often as once a month or as rarely as once a year, depending on the difficulty and expense of reaching a given field site. Even when a location is accessible, the cameras sometimes aren’t because the ice, which is constantly retreating and breaking up, moves them around. This makes it difficult to check their condition, swap out memory cards and perform other logistical tasks. But however difficult the journey is to reach these places, the visual evidence collected so far has astonished even those who are very familiar with this issue.

“We’ve seen pictures of glaciers for a long time. People look at an old photo of a glacier in 1880 and one of it now, and go, ‘Oh, it changed,’” Balog says. “Fifty-, 75- or 100-year comparisons don’t make enough of an impact. Your brain doesn’t hold that memory. But with time-lapse imagery, people can see these dramatic things happening in weeks or months. It has a different effect.”

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Michael makes this comment

Thursday, 05 March 2009

One more thing....the earth isn't 4.54 billion years old. I find it weird that people even think that. Most scientist cant even account for 10% of the time frame they follow. Humans evolved from a fish, 30 million years later we left the tree?? What about all the time in between?? Serious you cant account for 30 millions years!! And please dont pull carbon dating out of your hat. No reasonable person would trust such a system. The guy that invented even said it's flawed!! Thats a fact!!
Michael makes this comment

Thursday, 05 March 2009

Global warming is alot like evolution....it's a theory. It cant be proven that humans are the direct cause of the earths warming. It cant and if you think that we are than your nuts. So how did all that ice melt from the last ice age. Did the earth warm up? We could assume that it did. But you cant explain that to a earth muffin. Maybe the ice age ended because caveman were driving Hummers insured by geico? I would call this article "Caught Up In The Crap"
David makes this comment

Sunday, 01 March 2009

I am not saying that the people of this planet have not done damage to the environment, because I know we have. I do however, beleive that the earth is in a natural cycle and it will heal itself through its natural evolution. I certainly hope that the "Science Teacher" does not teach my child with all that anger. We should be better than that and learn to treat each other with a little more respect. If you cant set an example in yourself and be a little more respectful to other peoples beliefs then how do you exspect to save the world from what you believe is happening?
Old Lady makes this comment

Thursday, 26 February 2009

No matter what your beliefs you have to think about how we are treating our planet. You certainly would not let you house run down to the point it was toxic. If we all just give up one bad habit a year our children will see that we care. We have to be good examples in their lives. Besides even IF we are not causing this and it is natural we will be bettering ourselves. And the name calling and verbal abuse I have just read here is appauling! "If you can't say anything nice please don't say anything at all" (the earth is about 4.54 billion years old)
Science Teacher makes this comment

Friday, 20 February 2009

re: Brian's comment pt 2 You are alive because a scientist somewhere working in a lab all night to find a cure for a disease to save your pathetic, useless, fundamentalist life. Instead of being reverent, or at least appreciative, you criticize a body of knowledge that is probably responsible for you and millions of others being alive. Consider this the next time you or a family member becomes ill. So, just say thank you.
Science Teacher makes this comment

Friday, 20 February 2009

Re: Brian makes this comment Like Sarah Palin, GW Bush and Michelle Bachmann, only a creationist moron believes that the Earth is only 10 thousand years old Brian. Apparently you can't think beyond your own pathetic uneducated life and possibly consider what the future may be like for our children. You, and others, hate science because you, like many contemporary secondary students, are either lazy or can't think for yourself because you squander your time and energy in front of a TV or video game .... OR listen to other uneducated idiots on reactionary talk radio where you will find other dumb clones of the same ilk.. Consider sterilization because American schools already have enough consumptive idiots with no future without you contributing to the problem.
CoGenT makes this comment

Friday, 20 February 2009

The globe has been warming for 10,000 years... and if you want to do "something about it" I'd suggest plugging volcanoes and fixing the sun spots. Oh, and Algore is NOT a climatologist. He's a politician in a bad suit.
dean makes this comment

Friday, 20 February 2009

and what exactly are your credentials HAROLD? Like Rush Limbaugh, you probably dropped out of college after one semester. And, I don't know of a single climatologist who would agree with Rush Limbaugh......get an education.
Harold makes this comment

Friday, 20 February 2009

ALL glaciers melt sooner or later. If it wasn't for climate change we would still be locked in the ice age. Climate change is natural. Wake up, you global warming nuts!
Jim Markle makes this comment

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Thank you James Balog and everyone concerned about environmental issues; let's continue to educate the world and to encourage others to do their part to preserve it. Regarding Joe's comment, I'm sorry he feels like an innocent bystander. Yes, our planet is going through climate change, just as is has for hundreds of millions of years. We live in a dynamic environment, one that is constantly changing. In fact, we've seen evidence of environmental recovery throughout history. Unfortunately, the situation has changed. Given the tremendous increase in population and the growing demand for resources worldwide, our environment is being damaged at a much faster rate. Perhaps people like Joe, should pay the price for their complacency and their self-centered nature. May I suggest some globally warm Koolaid from Jonestown!
Ernesto makes this comment

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Wow I suppose Joe and Rita don't understand that people need to see that there are major climate changes happening and that we should invest in doing something about it. I suppose they are OK with sitting around and waiting to see what happens. Do we really want to take that Risk? Balog is trying to educate people and show them the beauty of these shrinking portions of our planet's balance. I suppose also that they are willing to put aside scientific evidence and call people doomsayers instead of accepting that they might have a point. Sorry the world is not black or white and yes Balog is expanding his carbon footprint but hopefully he'll be doing some carbon trading by convincing more of the world to decrease it's footprint. Who really wants to gamble on our planets future. We should take an active not passive role on guaranteeing its health.
Brian makes this comment

Thursday, 19 February 2009

I'm with the angry people. I personally find earth abhorrent and enemy to be not just conquered, but crushed. All those "scientists" who study "science" with their "scientific method" of creating "hypotheses" based on "empirical data" need to realize that every thousand years for the last 10,000 years (since earth has been in existence) the earth raises its temperature and carbon dioxide to near lethal levels. So next time your in a forest or some other stupid place, do what us skeptics do and light a match.
rita makes this comment

Thursday, 19 February 2009

Joe, I fully agree with you. The doomsayers are all squaking loudly. The key to 'global warming' may be closing some mouths to stop the hot air.
Joe makes this comment

Sunday, 15 February 2009

Oh my! The sky certainly is falling, isnt it? It's amazing that they can't predict the weather five days from now, but they somehow know conclusively that this is not a cycle the earth hasn't been through before. I can't wait for the day when these photographers and "scientists" are barred from purchasing new equipment, due to the fact that they are over thier carbon alotment for the month. Try back in three years or just pay an exorbitant "carbon tax" which will go into some politicians' pocket and do nothing to "help the planet" (not that it needs OUR help). Problem is, I and others like me will be innocent bystanders caught up in their madness. For all of you "Global Warming" believers, enjoy your Koolaid...while it's still affordable! :)

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Caught In The Act

An unprecedented experiment in time-lapse photography reveals how quickly glaciers are melting around the world

14 Comments

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