What Are They Doing?
The expedition members spent five days learning about the research conducted in Greenland, the logistics involved in supporting the research, and had first-hand experience conducting experiments and developing inquiry-based educational activities. The 2008 work built on the 2007 expedition and was supported by the National Science Foundation. The project was developed through cooperation with the U.S.-Denmark-Greenland Joint Committee which was established in 2004 to broaden and deepen cooperation among the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland.
The group arrived in the coastal town of Kangerlussuaq, Greenland on July 7th, where they toured the research infrastructure that supports Danish, U.S., and other international research projects. On Tuesday, June 8th the group flew to Summit Camp at the top of the Greenland Ice Sheet to learn about the research conducted at the Greenland Environmental Observatory at Summit (GEOSummit).
The teachers and students participated in data collection and sampling for some of the large and ongoing projects at Summit Station, including measuring the sun reflectance off the snow and the interaction between the snow and the atmosphere. The team experimented with pieces of ice cores to examine the layers and gasses trapped as bubbles in the ice, preserved as atmospheric time capsules representing the year they were trapped. They examined snow-pits and used instruments that collect environmental measurements year-round.
After their overnight stay at Summit Camp, the group returned to Kangerlussuaq where they took a closer look at water run-off from the ice sheet and the corresponding stream ecology. They wrapped up their tour with discussions of ways all the different projects can inform us about both arctic and global conditions.
Where Are They?
The group traveled to Kangerlussuaq on the west coast of Greenland and then to Summit Camp at the peak of the Greenland Ice Sheet, atop 3200 m of ice. Summit Station is a year-round arctic sampling station funded by the National Science Foundation, click here to learn more about Summit Station.