Journal

Today we spent our day hiking 8 miles on Moraine Hellgate Highway. Don't let the name fool you - at no point were we on paved road and less that one percent was actually flat.

Looking back towards camp
Looking back towards camp. Can you find the orange tents on the left?

Our ascent to the summit was physically taxing but the views on top made it all worth while.

Me taking it all in
Me taking it all in

Decisions are constantly being modified as we walk through this complex landscape, trying to determine exactly what took place here and when.

I wish I had the same lens as they do looking at this landscape
I wish I had the same lens as they do looking at this landscape

Once we determine that an erratic will provide a good sample (location, lichen present, quartz content, surface) we go to work extracting about 1 kg of sample from the rock.

Examining the features of the erratic
Examining the features of the erratic

Jason extracting a sample
Jason extracting a sample

In our field notebooks we record the following information... Lat/Long Elevation Shielding Photos: scales, context & sample surface pre/post cut Dip & Dip direction Where is sample taken Lithology Percent quartz content Narrative: How stable is erratic, setting, describe lay of the land, size of boulder, describe shape/edges

Nat assisting Alia on how to use an inclinometer
Nat assisting Alia on how to use an inclinometer

Avy celebrating the find
Avy celebrating the find

Signing off, Team Backpack

Details
Author
Tina Ciarametaro
Date
Expedition
Shrinking Arctic Icecaps
Weather Summary
Partly cloudy, breezy
Temperature
55-65 degrees

View Comments

Comments

Sun, 09/21/2014 - 04:49

Tina Ciarametaro

Actually, it is a name that the team came up with. Many of the areas that we explored were not named or explored previously. We created this name because there were so many moraines and they seemed to merge and go on forever. The hiking was very hard in some areas but so rewarding at the same time. It felt good to push my body to its limits!

Sat, 08/30/2014 - 16:45

IMS morgan D

The view is so pretty I hope you had fun up there. Why do they call it that? And was the hike tiring?

Sat, 08/30/2014 - 16:46

IMS morgan D

The view is so pretty I hope you had fun up there. Why do they call it that? And was the hike tiring?

Tue, 08/12/2014 - 07:14

IMSCateP

Hi Mrs. Cimarametaro! That view is so pretty! Do you know why the Moariane Hellgate Highway is called that if it isn't actually flat? What is an erratic? And are your field notebooks just normal notebooks or do you record the information electronically? Also, why is it that location, lichen present, quartz content, and surface make a for a good sample? Hope you're having a fabulous time!

Wed, 08/13/2014 - 01:50

Tina Ciarametaro

Dear IMSCateP,we actually named the region Moraine Hellgate Highway ourselves. When you are out in the field and doing difficult work, you need to find humor in the strangest of places. We hiked 8 miles that day and it was extremely difficult at times. The moraines went on and on forever. Moraines are basically huge piles of sediment that have been moved by glaciers. In simple landscapes, one can predict the overall movement of a glacier; however, in Moraine Hellgate Highway, the moraines seemed to go every which way. We needed to continue to hike higher and higher to get a better bird's eye view of the situation. I am learning so much from the team that has brought me along.

An erratic is a large rock that was deposited by a glacier and placed at a different location then where it originated from. There are two great erratics I can think of close to Ipswich. One is in Essex - Agassiz Rock trail and the other is near a baseball field in Rowley.

We have a journal size field notebook. The pages can be written on in rainy weather and have graph lines in case you need to create different type images. I will show you mine in school.

The science behind dating a rock sample is pretty complex. The lichen suggests that the rock is very old - old enough for the lichen to establish a colony and not have been weathered off. The quartz is what they actually analyze to determine the date of the sample. It is a pretty tricky concept to understand; however, I have some ideas to demonstrate in class that might help. Finally, you want a flat surface so that your sample is receiving equal amounts of cosmic rays. If your sample was taken on a edge, one might argue that different parts of the sample were receiving different amounts of cosmic rays - cosmic rays change an atom found in quartz and they can date the sample by studying the amount of change. Whew… that was a lot to take in; trust me I understand…these are the conversations I am listening to every day.
Thanks for writing,
Mrs. C

On A

Wed, 08/13/2014 - 10:03

IMSKianaW

HelloIs there any fracking allowed in Greenland?
I just got back from a month in Ireland where there was a pretty big debate over whether fracking should be allowed to happen in Fermanach, so.

Thu, 08/14/2014 - 04:57

Tina Ciarametaro

Dear IMSKianaW,I do not believe that there is any fracking here in Greenland. The geology here is so very old. I do believe that if they found any place to frack they would support it because they are looking for economic growth - Greenland is becoming a sovereign nation and trying many different ways to support themselves. SUPERB QUESTION

Thu, 08/14/2014 - 10:00

IMSandreaM

Hi Mrs. Ciaramertaro! The views are amazing, I can see why it was worth it! Since it was only 65 degrees, windy, and you had to walk 8 miles, what type of clothing did you wear?

Thu, 08/14/2014 - 13:59

Tina Ciarametaro

Dear IMSandreaM,while on a day hike, you bring layers of clothing because you do not know how the weather will be at different altitudes. I had spare socks, hat, buff, fleece jacket, wind breaker, rain gear, water and snacks.