Handy tool (or, Don’t try this at home)

An ice axe is an indispensable tool for navigating on ice. Explorers use them to probe the snow ahead to see how deep it is, to stop themselves when sliding down a slope, or to steady their bodies when leaping across a meltwater stream, as WHOI geophysicist Mark Behn is doing here. They are also handy for chopping steps in the ice or as a crutch when hiking up a hill.
(Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)