Emperor penguin colony at Cape Washington in the Ross Sea

Recovering specimens from a trap set in the Ross Sea.

Recovering specimens from a trap set in the Ross Sea.

Recovering specimens from a trap set in the Ross Sea.

Recovering specimens from a trap set in the Ross Sea.

Deploying bio-optical instrumentation over the side of the NATHANIEL B. PALMER.

Deploying bio-optical instrumentation over the side of the NATHANIEL B. PALMER.

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

Deploying an upward looking RDI acoustic doppler current profiler on a mooring along the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea

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.