Drone fieldwork in Great Basin National Park

The Department of Geography Master's Student, Adam Tjoelker, led the drone photogrammetry mission this past summer at Great Basin National Park in Nevada as part of the department's annual Great Basin Research Experience (GBEX).  As a member of the Glacier Environmental Change Group (GECG), Adam's work is part of their broader mission  to map the Lehman Rock Glacier, which they have been monitoring since 2014 using kites, balloons, and drones.

Two people sitting on rocks in the mountainous field surrounded by rocks and snow.
Two people in hard hats and neon vests bent over working on a drone in the mountains with some snow covered ground.
A person standing in mountains surrounded by rocks and snow pointing to a rock.

The group will be processing the data collected by the drone over the coming months to provide to park staff to help improve their interpretive resources about the rock glacier for visitors.

These insights on the changes observed in the Lehman Rock Glacier will also aid the group's overarching research goal to investigate how climate change is impacting the environment at Great Basin National Park.

A person in a hard hat and neon work vest knelt down over a black toolbox working on a drone in the mountains with snow covered ground.
Two people in neon work vests and hard hats working on a drone in the mountainous field surrounded by rocks.