Today we saw so many cool things, so I’ll talk about the technical side of things then rave about the sights. There are many phenomena seen in nature that inspire the engineering world every day. Take geysers for example. While we waited to see a geyser go off, we got an in-depth explanation of how they work. The top of a geothermal heated pool is cooled from the atmosphere, while the bottom is heated to boiling temp. The pressure of the water above prevents the water below from boiling, but eventually it does, rapidly releasing steam to create the explosion of water that we know as a geyser. This is a prime example of the Rayleigh-Benard convection, which explains how convection cells form from the difference in heating and cooling by depth in a fluid. Engineers have been using geysers as a model for the use of this while harnessing heat from the ground in geothermal power plants. This understanding of the movement of fluids that are heated from the bottom also helps us understand how the tectonic plates move, which is the most important thing when determining where the optimal location is for one.
Now for the sights we saw. I need to mention that we saw the Northern Lights last night, making it an easy highlight of the trip. It’s been a bucket list item for me and was incredible to see. My high of the day was seeing the [] glacier up close. I found a trail and, with a buddy of course, we followed it. It led us down to a secluded area at the edge of the bay, where we got to see the icebergs and mountains closer than we were when we were up on the viewing platform. It was so quiet that we could hear the echoing of the ocean that was outside of the bay. It provided sone much needed quite time with an amazing view. 10/10 recommend following a walking trail you find behind the restrooms.
Swanson School of Engineering 