30 June 2018 What Do You Mean It's Hot!?

I Know It Sounds Crazy

Guys, it's hot in Alaska. I know, I know, all my friends down south are rolling their eyes and sighing mightily. I know if you look at the temperature, you might think, "What a lovely, cool day." But no. It's hot. No lie, and here's why.

Total Solar Radiation

Yes, over the the course of the year, Alaska receives less solar radiation than states in the lower 48, but if you look at the month of June, Alaska actually receives more solar energy in a day than Florida. Keep in mind that you have 24 hours of daylight for weeks on end! Also, the lower angle of the sun means your entire body is exposed to the sunlight (shadows are long here!) which means your entire body is absorbing this solar energy. Couple that with low wind and there isn't anything under which you can find shade, you begin to feel warm very quickly out in the field. Now, am I saying it hotter than other places? No. But it's relative. And I feel relatively hot. So when my Alaskan friends express concern over 70 degree days, I get it now. I'm sorry I mocked you. You were right all along.

Check Out The Science Details

An article that appeared in Forbes yesterday was the inspiration for this entry. The author, Dr. Brian Brettschneider, is a climate scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and conducts research out of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) and explains this hot in Alaska phenomena in detail. Read his article here.

The Adventures Of Flat Cat

Today Flat Cat supervised the last of the plant traits collections!! Over the course of a week, we have collected roughly 1,300 individual leaves, labeled, measured (length, height, thickness, photosynthesis rates, and reflectivity), weighed and dried them. All of them. Every last 1,300 of the them. So many leaves.