27 June 2011 24 Hours of Sun!

24 Hours of Sun, GRRRRR

Ok, so this 24 hours of sun is really screwing up my internal clock. Between 11:00pm & midnight I am getting ready for bed, but it is so bright out. They call it the "midnight sun" as the sun is still shining at midnight. I really feel I shouldn't be getting ready for bed and that I need to be doing something. The first night I slept here the window was covered only by a regular blind you would find in the U.S. By the second night I covered the window with foil to keep out most of the light. This helped tremendously, but it is still taking time to get used to all of the sun. However, the most disorienting issue with the 24hrs of sun is if you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It's sunny out at 4am and I have to fight with myself to go back to sleep! The sun is up so I should be getting up right? How many hours of sunlight do you get in your home town?

Today, Elliot and I went out to the Old Basin to finish running the first collection of data that we started yesterday. An old basin is generally described as a basin created in the past 300-2000 years. While we were out there I saw three tundra swans and I was actually able to get a picture of one of them. Also, one of the other scientists doing research on the snowy owls released a snowy owl today that had been injured. Unfortunately, I did not find out about the release until after it had already happened. Foiled again at getting a snowy owl picture!

Japanese Restaurant in Barrow?!?!

Tonight we went to eat at a Japanese restaurant here in Barrow. That's right, I said Japanese. There are no fast food restaurants here in Barrow and oh, how I am craving some Chipotle right now! Afterwards, we walked on the "beach" to help digest our delicious meal. The sea ice is steadily melting and it will not be long before it is long gone. One of the more unsightly things here in Barrow is how dirty the sea ice is along the road. The roads are not paved here due to the constant thawing and freezing, so they are gravel roads. A truck drives up and down the roads all day long with a tank full of water that is sprayed on the roads to help control the dust. However, a lot of the dust is swept out over the beach and onto the ice; making it look dirty. I really wasn't expecting that as I had assumed and pictured the perfect-white ice-covered Arctic Ocean. Remember what happens when you assume something….

Fact of the Day

If a drop of oil were placed at the beginning of the 800-mile long Alaskan Pipeline, how long would it take to make it to the end?

Inuit Word of the Day

Yesterday's Word: Qikturiaq = Mosquitoes! Have you been bitten by a mosquito yet this summer? Did you get it right?

Today's Word: Aluut - Hint: It may be silver and you may use it to help you eat! What is the word of the day?

Please take 2 seconds and reply with your guesses to the fact of the day or Inuit word of the day in the "Ask the Team" section link below:

http://www.polartrec.com/forum/microbial-activity-in-thawing-arctic-permafrost/fact-of-the-day-or-inuit-word-of-the-day-guess