Stop 5
D1 Climate Station

Arriving at the D1 station you are immediately awed by the rugged, topography surrounding the site that has been shaped by glacial erosion.The D1 Climate Station lies at an elevation of 12,200 feet in the alpine tundra of Niwot Ridge. This station has one of the most severe high altitude conditions and longest continuous records of climate in the coterminous 48 states.

Figure 5.1 View of D1 Climate Station (Photo credit: Michael Ritter)

The site is underlain by permafrost. Frost heave due to repeated freezing and thawing of the surface has brought large rocks to the surface creating polygonal, patterned ground.


Figure 5.2 Niwot Ridge Arete (Photo credit: Michael Ritter)

Walking past the climate station you notice that the ridge quickly begins to narrow. At this point the ridge narrows into an arete. The thin veneer of soil upon which your walking is replaced by loose fragments of rock.

Field Journal Entry

Follow Niwot Ridge until it narrows into an arete and describe the shape of the arete and how it was formed.

Record the environmental data into your field journal

Environmental Data

Site Elevation

Temperature

Wind Speed

Insolation

3,743 m

6.9 C

4 m/s

 578 ly/day

  To Stop 6 Isabelle Glacier

Or jump to:

| Table of Contents | Stop 1 Lodgepole Pine | Stop 2: Subalpine | Stop 3: Ecotone | Stop 4: Tundra |
| Stop 5: D1 | Stop 6: Isabelle Glacier | Stop 7: Pawnee Cirque | Stop 8: Green Lakes Valley | Wrap - up |

Created by Michael Ritter ( mritter@uwsp.edu ) Last revised July14, 1997