Deploying the trainwheel anchor for a mooring in the Ross Sea.

Deploying the trainwheel anchor for a mooring in the Ross Sea.

Icebergs drifting in the Ross Sea

Penguins hitching a ride on a bergy bit drifting in the Ross Sea.

The sign at the Mauna Loa Observatory - Geophysical Monitoring for Climatic Change. The Mauna Loa Observatory is at 3400 meters elevation, over 2 statute miles high. Here, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been measured for many years.

A view of Hilo at dusk with a snow-capped Mauna Loa in the background.

A snow-capped Mauna Loa as seen from the coast.

Mauna Kea as seen from the Mauna Loa Observatory.

Pahoehoe lava flow on Mauna Loa. Note small cinder cone in the distance.

Photo #1 of sequence. A view of snow-capped Mauna Kea as seen from Mauna Loa.

Photo #2 of sequence. The same view of Mauna Kea but panning to the right and showing the winding road leading to the Mauna Loa Observatory.

Each day the cloud cover rolls up Mauna Loa from the Hilo area. It fills the saddle first, then reaches the observatory by late afternoon. This is a daily cycle.

A view of snow-capped Mauna Kea as seen over an aa lava flow from Mauna Loa.

Photo #1 of sequence. A view of snow-capped Mauna Kea as seen from Mauna Loa.

Photo #2 of sequence. The same view of Mauna Kea but panning to the left.

The Mauna Loa Observatory.

The Mauna Loa Observatory with view of the dome housing Dobson ozone spectrophot ometer and air intake tower for atmospheric constituent measurements.

Instruments on the tower at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

The Mauna Loa Observatory with view of the dome housing Dobson ozone spectrophot ometer and air intake tower for atmospheric constituent measurements.

The NASA Solar Observatory, up the hill from the NOAA facility.

Snow on the ground at Mauna Loa Observatory.

Snow on the ground at Mauna Loa Observatory.

A snowman in Hawaii!

Brrrrr! John Bortniak in a down parka in Hawaii.

John Bortniak taking rainfall readings at the Mauna Loa Observatory.

A rainwater collector - part of an acid rain observation network that extends from Hilo all the way up Mauna Loa to the observatory at various elevations.

Preparing to take air sample for carbon dioxide analysis.

Using an evacuated glass flask to collect air sample to be analyzed for carbon dioxide. This information will be added to the historic Scripps (Charles Keeling) long-term CO2 record.

Opening the valve into the wind of an evacuated glass flask while the observer holds his breath to keep from contaminating the sample.

Using the Dobson ozone spetrophotometer to measure the ozone content of the atmosphere by observing 2 ultraviolet wavelengths.

Recording solar radiation using a normal incidence pyrheliometer with a filter wheel.

Recording Dobson ozone data.

Demonstrating oxygen mask. After arriving at 11,000 feet altitude fresh from sea level, one often feels the need to perk up a little with oxygen before starting the day's work.

A condensation nuclei counter inside the observatory building.

Inside the observatory.

Inside the observatory calibrating the 4-wavelength nephelometer.

Updating the recording charts with time/date marks.

The Instrument Control and Data Acquisition System (ICDAS).

The Carbon Dioxide monitoring instrument panel.

The Mauna Kea astronomical observatories as seen from the air in winter. Mauna Loa is visible in the background.

The Mauna Kea astronomical observatories as seen from the air in winter.

The Mauna Kea astronomical observatories as seen from the air in winter. Mauna Loa is visible in the background.

A pahoehoe lava flow on the slope of Mauna Loa.

A lava formation at the entrance to a lava tube.

Vegetation making inroads into basalt field.

Cave-in section of roof of a lava tube. This is why walking on open lava fields can be quite dangerous.

Inside a lava tube.

Inside a lava tube.

Inside a lava tube.

Mauna Loa at sunset