Permafrost outreach 2009
The University of Alaska EPSCoR program, NASA IPY and NSF IPY, Thermal State of Permafrost programs are conducting an outreach effort in conjunction with it's research focus on permafrost and infrastructure. The outreach effort has been termed the "Permafrost Health" program and consists of installing permafrost temperature monitoring systems!Monday, March 24, 2008
to Golovin and White Mountain
Another full day of activities: a lecture, four holes drilled and travel to two villages
After explaining to Mark in Elim about the location of monitoring station, Kenji talked to the students and demonstrated how the frost tube works. We rode out of Elim by 9:30.
Today was the first day on our trip that felt like Spring. The first half an hour was a bumpy ride over hardened sastrugi.
Then the trail turned into an overland trail that shortcuts the peninsula. The trail went over some domes called "Little McKinley." At the top of the dome, we had a stunning view of the surrounding hills. Then, the trail drops down. As we descended a long hill, Golovin could be spotted in the distance.
We arrived in Golovin around 11:30.
As soon as we arrived, Kenji selected a site for the frost tube and started drilling. Then we had lunch at the school cafeteria. Chicken nuggets and green peas. Kenji talked to the students right after lunch.
After the talk, he started drilling a bore hole for the monitoring station. The site was on the southern side of town.
The material was mostly sand and ice. After a successful 4m drill, our best yet, the station was installed.
Then we packed our equipment, got on our snowmachines, and headed to White Mountain. It was a flat 15 miles over mostly sea ice and river. We arrived at White Mountain about 4 PM.
Kenji went to work right away with the frost tube. But after 70 cm he started hitting rocks. It was the same in other locations.
Instead of drilling for a monitoring station, we decided to install two frost tubes in different places.
That evening Jack and Joanne invited us over for some caribou dinner. They were Ned's friends, from his previous visits to White Mountain.
Tomorrow we are going to Nome, where all of missing stuff should be waiting for us. In case it doesn't come through, Kenji's got a "Plan B" ready.
posted by Tohru
After explaining to Mark in Elim about the location of monitoring station, Kenji talked to the students and demonstrated how the frost tube works. We rode out of Elim by 9:30.
Today was the first day on our trip that felt like Spring. The first half an hour was a bumpy ride over hardened sastrugi.
Then the trail turned into an overland trail that shortcuts the peninsula. The trail went over some domes called "Little McKinley." At the top of the dome, we had a stunning view of the surrounding hills. Then, the trail drops down. As we descended a long hill, Golovin could be spotted in the distance.
We arrived in Golovin around 11:30.
As soon as we arrived, Kenji selected a site for the frost tube and started drilling. Then we had lunch at the school cafeteria. Chicken nuggets and green peas. Kenji talked to the students right after lunch.
After the talk, he started drilling a bore hole for the monitoring station. The site was on the southern side of town.
The material was mostly sand and ice. After a successful 4m drill, our best yet, the station was installed.
Then we packed our equipment, got on our snowmachines, and headed to White Mountain. It was a flat 15 miles over mostly sea ice and river. We arrived at White Mountain about 4 PM.
Kenji went to work right away with the frost tube. But after 70 cm he started hitting rocks. It was the same in other locations.
Instead of drilling for a monitoring station, we decided to install two frost tubes in different places.
That evening Jack and Joanne invited us over for some caribou dinner. They were Ned's friends, from his previous visits to White Mountain.
Tomorrow we are going to Nome, where all of missing stuff should be waiting for us. In case it doesn't come through, Kenji's got a "Plan B" ready.
posted by Tohru
posted by uaf permafrost # 10:18 PM 
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