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| Above, one of the drill camps perched precariously between cravasses in the ice field. Photo courtesy of Lonnie Thompson, Ohio State University. Below, a support helicopter prepares to pick up a sling load of equipment from the drill site. Photo courtesy of Paolo Gabrielli, Ohio State University. |
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| Above, base camp sits below a massif bearing one of the upper ice fields. Photo courtesy of Paolo Gabrielli, Ohio State University. |
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| Above, an aerial photograph of one of the ice fields near Puncac Jaya shows the extent of ice coverage in May, 2009. Below, a year later, another aerial photograph from a slightly different angle shows the ice loss in a single year. Thompson predicts that the ice atop these peaks will be gone in a matter of years. Photos courtesy of Lonnie Thompson, Ohio State University. |
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| Above, during the expedition, Thompson addressed over 100 tribal members and Freeport employees to explain the importance of the project to understanding local to global climate changes. Below, at several points, local objections to removing the ice cores for research grew so loud that he was barely able to confer with colleagues. Photos courtesy of Lonnie Thompson, Ohio State University. |
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