Permafrost outreach 2009

We are going to Yukon Territory, Canada this week for establishment permafrost monitoring sites. Tentatively, we install 6 schools and schedule is following:
May 2 (Wednesday): drill Beaver Creek
May 3 (Thursday): talk Beaver Creek drive to Destruction Bay
May 4 (Friday): Destruction Bay; drive to Whitehorse
May 5 (Saturday): drill in Whitehorse
May 6 (Sunday): Drive to Ross River
May 7 (Monday): Drill Ross River
May 8 (Tuesday): Drill Faro, drive to Carmacks
May 9 (Wednesday): drill Dawson
May 10 (Thursday): Drive back to UAF/Whitehorse from Dawson

I think not many people know "Kenny Lake" even Alaskan resident.
Kenny Lake School is located in the southern part of the Copper River Basin near Chitna.
This is really interesting place for permafrost study.
Last 20 years, permafrost degradations dramatically and vegetation seems changing too.
We would like to establish our program at Kenny Lake School. We try to drill last fall but failed! There is glacial deposit (boulder and clay!) in this area and one of the most difficult drill conditions. The principal (Mr. Carlson), science teacher (Mr. Proch), retired science teacher (Mr. Dave Wellman), and USDA biologist (Doug Vollman) help us a lot to establish site. But we still not success yet. I was there last week to look at potential drill site. But many snow remain and hard to see ground condition yet. Even we do not have snow in Fairbanks!
We will try anyway, once snow gone!

We met Mr. Ernie Norton (KIC land manager) for Looking for drill site. He suggest area of ice-wedge polygons. Once we got permission, we start drill Saturday morning.

The site has frozen peat, ice and silt, relativity easy drilling and success to install sensors and deta loggers.

We had great time in Selawik. At first, Clyde, US Fish and Wildlife Service, pick us up at airport. He is ideal person for us to meet in village first time. He lived Selawik all his life. He was mayor before and currently he is Trival Concil President. Clyde took us to drive snow machine to the Davis-Ramoth School.
Once we got school principal Pat Parente show school and discuss potential drill sites. Once we eat late breakfast and waiting science teacher finish class, we prepare drilling.

Science teacher, Greg, live here more than 28 years and retired several years ago. However, he is temporary back to school fill in science class today. He is not young however, he has full of energy and passion for science education. We really like to work with person like him.



We had two lectures around noon. Then all of the students went out for drilling. It was cold windy day. But students were fine and helping us very well. Clyde brought EMT tube for casing.

Once we did all, the time was almost up. Clyde picked us up for airport but before then he helped me to drill Selawik River for water sampling.

It was great trip today.

Last night we checked with Northern Air Cargo to see if our stuff made it to Kotzebue.






After waiting over half an hour, we found out that only 11 of the 13 pieces of equipment was on the plane. The two snow machines were still in Fairbanks...
Without the snow machines we needed to make some changes with our plan.





So, first thing this morning, we looked for the earliest flight to Noatak and made plans to make a day trip to Noatak.
As we rushed to the airport to check in, we then learned that the flight was on hold due to the overcast conditions around Noatak. Another hour goes by waiting at the airport.
Suddenly we were told that they are flying and jumped on th plane.

We were flying over a blanket of clouds the entire way.
As we got closer to Noatak, the pilot lowered the plane just above the tree tops to land.








At the school, the principal John, and the teachers Susette and Stan greeted us.








We were introduced to Steve, who keeps a daily record of the weather in Noatak.


















Before the talk, we replaced the old data logger with new ones.
The bateries were running a bit low and it was a good time to change them.
There was a lot of snow and the external casing was completely burried under the snow.





Kenji talked about the Noatak data, and how it's interesting to see signs of a recent warming trend compared to other sites.










Tomorrow we plan to visit Selawik, but we will have to wait and see what happens.

Today we left Fairbanks at 8:30AM to fly to Kotzebue.

The plan was to Fly to Kotzebue and snow machine to Noatak and then to neighboring schools and a pingo.
We used Frontier Air because they have direct flights from Fairbanks.
It was mostly cloudy the entire way.

We arrived in Kotzebue before noon and went to pick up our gear at Northern Air Cargo, which was right across the street.
Only to find that our stuff hasn't even left Fairbanks yet.
We were told that the plane will arrive at 8 PM tonight, but the office will close at 5 PM.

We shall see what happens.
Instead of heading to Noatak today, it seems like we will be spending the night here.






In the mean time, we visited the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge office and talked to staff members. Kenji is hoping to visit an interesting site in the refuge, and wanted to coordinate something for a future project. From the meeting it seemed likely that Kenji would be able to work with them in the summer.

This afternoon we will visit the high school and try to meet the teachers here.

Update-





The school teacher was very excited about our project, and he said that if we could find a place to drill they can download the data.

Later we went to the Borough Office to see if we can talk to someone getting permission to drill a hole. After some scrambling, Kim was able to connect us with Grant and Emmit who shold be able to help us.

We are suppose to see them Friday...?

Northern Air Cargo let us in the building after the plane landed , but unfortunately the snow machines did not make it to Kotzebue.

We will report on all circum-polar permafrost countries in this summer!
Please stay tune for more information.
Schedule will be following:
Norway (Spitsbergen) April 20-26
Canada (Yukon) May2-10
Mongolia May19-26
Russia (Yakutsk area) August 10-25
Greenland (west) September 1-10

We plan to go Kotzbue and Noatak on Wedesday. Once we arrive in Kotzbue, we will drive up Noatak River by snow machine!
Noatak is one of the interesting borehole site.
temperature seems recent warming trend.
We have a great support team in Noatak Hhigh School. The teacher Ms. Susette Carroll and her student Mr. Ezra Adams help us for downloading and correcting data this winter. This was an emense contribution to our project. Much of the excellent results of our Permafrost Health Project are due in no small part to those in the villages willing to help us with our data.

We collected snow, tap water and river water from each schools during snow machine trip.
Our lab technisian Tim Howe quickly analysing hydrogen and oxygen isotopes for these waters.
We will set up new menu for this and explaining about the isotope.