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> In the Field at Last
John_Sode
post Jul 16 2005, 12:16 PM
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July 14, 2005

July 14, 2005

This morning we prepared for our first full day in the field. Everyone was acutely aware of how cold, wet, and chilling yesterday was. Boots, hats, parkas, scarves, gloves, and other cold weather gear appeared from duffel bags, backpacks, and seemingly out of thin air. Our main objective today was to examine the stripping pattern commonly found on many slopes in the high Arctic. Stripping refers to the pattern of vegetation found on these slopes. Our group is examining many questions related to stripping. Some of those questions include 1)What plants live here? 2) What causes the stripping pattern, 3) Do the rocks move? 4) If the rocks move, how do the rocks move? 5) If the rocks move, how do they move? 6) How does the soil compare between the vegetated and nonvegetated areas? and 7) What does all of this mean in terms of carbon storage? The answers to these questions will help us determine our climate operates and changes, what causes climate change, and how our climate is changing.

There is considerable evidence that the rocks move on the slopes. One of our questions is how these rocks move. In order to determine how the rocks move, we have constructed a line of rocks and measured them against a reference point. We will continue to measure the rocks against the reference point to determine how much movement there is.

Another question that our group is trying to learn about is where the carbon is stored, and how much carbon is stored in Arctic Soils. To answer this question our team collects soil samples and examines the carbon content differences. The deep rich color of the highly enriched organic soils makes the evidence clear. In the photos you can see members of the team collecting samples and examining the organic (carbon differences).

Our group also collected some plant samples from the site for further study.

After working at the stripping experiment site this morning, we decided to go to “P” Mountain for lunch. The weather was still very cold, windy, and foggy. Even so, we found this picnic table on “P” Mountain left over from the days when the US Military had major operations on this site overlooking Thule Air Base. We couldn’t resist having a picnic in the Arctic. After our picnic, Ken treated us to a juggling show using Greenland snowballs. Shortly after lunch, the weather began to clear and we headed for the Greenland Ice Sheet.
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