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PEM Tropics B Photo Gallery for Easter Island

All photos on this page were taken by MJ Mahoney and should not be used without permission.  The intent of this gallery is to convey a sense of the environment for the PEM Tropics B deployment. Although scientists often travel to interesting and sometimes exotic locations, field work is extremely difficult, involving long hours with little time off to explore the surroundings.Most of the photos in these galleries were taken on a few "down" days on a six week deployment. Hopefully, they will bring back fond memories of this deployment for those who were on it, and help instill interest in atmospheric research for those who were not. For more information on the PEM Tropics B mission, go to the PEM Tropics B home page. Click each image to see the full size. Higher quality images are available on request.

Easter Island (aka Rapa Nui, Osterinsel, Isla de Pascua) is a fascinating, open-air archeological site that began with the arrival of Polynesian navigators (probably from the Marquesas Islands 3400 km to the north-west) in 400 - 500 AD. It was discovered by outsiders on Easter Sunday 1722 by the Dutch commander Jacob Roggeveen. By this time the inhabitants had evolved from the ancestor cult characterized by the practice of megalithism to the bird cult centered near Orongo on the southern end of the island. The following is a brief glossary of Polynesian words used in the captions below:
 
  • Moai: stone statue or carving
  • Ahu: ceremonial platform on which statues may have been erected
  • Ana: cave
  • Hanga: bay
  • Kiea: red earth
  • Kohuo rongorongo: wooden tablets inscribed with Rapanui script
  • Mahute: paper Mulberry tree
  • Makemake: creator deity
  • Manu: bird
  • Motu: islet ('iti = small, nui = big)
  • Poro: rounded cobble
  • Pukao: top hat
  • Rano: crater lake
  • Tangata: man or human being (Tangata Manu = Birdman)
  • Tapa: bark-cloth, textile prepared from the bark of the mahute

Click Image for a large map of Easter Island

 


Ana Tai Tangata, or cave, formed from a lava tube on coast west of Mataveri Airport
Late afternoon after a downpour on the road up Rano Kau at the south end of Easter Island

Rano Kau, one of two craters on Easter Island which have lakes, drops nearly 300 m to the sea
Another view of Rano Kau

 

The Bird Cult apartment complex at Orongo. Doors are about 2' high!
A home at Orongo left partly exposed during restoration; there are about 50 homes in total.
Petroglyphs at Orongo overlooking Motu Nui, Motu 'Iti and Motu Kaokao
View of Mataveri airstrip and the village of Hanga Roa beyond, from Rano Kau

 

The coast west of Rano Kau
Ahu Nau Nau near Anakena on the north end of Easter Island where moai have pukao
The only beach on Easter Island, at Ahu Nau Nau, where Hotu Matu'a was thought to have landed
A large lichen-covered moai at Anakena

 

The quarry at Rano Raraku where there are nearly 400 moai -- many in the foreground
The lake at Rano Raraku with rushes; moai can be seen in foreground.
Looking back across Rano Raraku toward peak seen at beginning of this row of images
A large moai still attached to volcanic tuff from which it was carved

 

A view toward Ahu Tongariki from Rano Raraku
More moai; the largest ever carved is near the center of the image
Someone's ancestor
Someone else's ancestor

 

A close-up of Ahu Tongariki
A view of Ahu Tongariki showing poro on large platform
Dave and Terry at the largest moai (20 m) ever carved
Terry beside a Rano Raraku moai

 

The seven moai of Ahu Akivi (1500 AD) facing the rising equinoctial sun.
Behind Ahu Akivi are remains of structures such as crematoria and funerary cists.

That's All Folks!