In Maine they say "If you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes." Sorry vacationlanders, Svalbard is legit. This morning the weather was gorgeous: sunny, litte wind, and probably in the low 50's F. Then, allow for the hike in and just enough time for everyone to get mobilized and bring on the clouds and sprinkles. No matter though, we've been spoiled thus far.
Today the group was split up the most we've been yet with the UNIS AG212 group headed for their project lakes in the karst territory, Mike and Steve with the REU students up on the glacier, and Helena, Dion, and I piloting the big boat out on Lake Linne. Due to time constraints on this end and the fact that my camera didn't hold a charge (or I temporarily can't find my charger adapter) I've got one picture and a short journal to post today.
Basically, Helena and Dion's projects will be covering the numerous intricacies that lead to the complex sedimentary record which we will recover from the bottom of Lake Linne. To glean any discernible paleoenvironmental or paleoclimatic information from that record we must in turn be able to understand how sediments are mobilized and deposited. In an effort to further our understanding the three of us spent the day casting a 'troll' into all over the lake at various depths to figure out the temperature, conductivity of the water, and turbidity. These measurements help us pinpoint the origins of sediment laden flows into the lake and account for layer thicknesses in the ongoing sedimentary budget. Essentially, we're acting as the sedimentary accountants and it is tax time.
It rained, the wind blew, but we were psyched to be gathering real time, useful data. We found some textbook overflow conditions, made some deep baseline casts of the instrument into the center of the lake, and did some solufluction detective work to find areas that creeping soils are acting as major sedimentary contributors from the shoreline…good stuff. It is always a bit thrilling to know that the numbers you write down will be making their way into print in the months to come and better shape the understanding of an ecosystem for years and years down the road. With that, good night and happy Monday to come...
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