Artist: Sean Neilson

One of the most common questions from visitors to Glacier Bay is, “What makes the ice blue?” The ice is blue because that is its true color. This color is expressed because the ice is pure, which allows the light to penetrate sufficiently far that the reds, yellows and violets are differentially absorbed from the light spectrum, leaving the blues and greens to be transmitted back to one’s eye. Ice looks white when it contains too many air bubbles that scatter the light back before it can be differentially absorbed by the ice. This example came from the bottom of Lamplugh Glacier. I was camped near the base of the glacier and while exploring its edge, I was able to safely maneuver to a crevasse (a large crack). I liked the abstract pattern created by the sand contrasted against the blue ice, as well as the ambiguity of the scale. This photo frames only about five square feet of ice.