IPB

( Log In ) Log In is for TREC Teachers & Researchers only

 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> Collecting Water and Soil Data, Ice Caves and Permafrost
John_Sode
post Jul 16 2005, 12:23 PM
Post #1


TREC Teacher
***

Group: TREC Team
Posts: 81
Joined: 27-April 05
Member No.: 11



July 15, 2005

Today our group continued to work on several experiments: air sampling, water quality, water discharge, and soil profiles.

We set up a pilot study to collect air samples at North Mountain.

Attached Image


Next, we headed for the South River to study the water. Northern Greenlandic Rivers are unique in that they are very cold, have a high percentage of glacier meltwater in them, flow for relatively short distances—often 20 km or less, and travel through rocky terrain with little vegetation along their shores. Our group is attempting to collect baseline data on the quality of these rivers so that changes in their water quality can be detected and monitored should changes occur. We collected pH values, tested the rocks to determine if the rocks might be dissolving, tested stream flows, measured temperature, and calculated stream discharges (stream flows—how much water the river is carrying).

Attached Image

This information also will help us determine how much freshwater is flowing into the Arctic Ocean. Understanding the amount of freshwater flowing into the Arctic Ocean is very important because the amounts are increasing. As the freshwater discharges increase, the salinity (salt levels) of the ocean could be affected and, in turn, affect the ocean currents and our climate. This change is a very real possibility. I remember growing up reading about reports of changes in the Chesapeak Bay’s salinity following Hurricanes Agnes and Camille. Both Maryland and Virginia had to take immediate, and dramatic steps, to protect the fisheries of the Bay and allow nature to heal the Bay. If hurricanes can affect the Bay, why couldn’t increased discharges affect the Ocean?

Attached ImageAttached Image

The site we tested contained some astonishing ice caves. As I worked this morning I was continually amazed at the similarities I kept seeing between Arctic Caves formed by moving water and caves of Southwest Missouri formed by water percolating through Karst topography. Everywhere I looked I could envision someplace in Missouri. The common denominator, of course, is water. Water helps carve the Arctic Ice Caves and water dissolves carbon dioxide to create weak carbonic acid to dissolve the limestone and dolimite of Southwest Missouri.

Attached ImageAttached Image


After stopping for lunch we headed to one of the stripping study sites to help dig a soils pit. We dug until we reached the permafrost layer and then constructed a soil profile to map the various types of soils and rocks found in the site.


Attached ImageAttached ImageAttached Image


We also made sure to document the vegetation growing above the soils. The soils under the plants were very different from the soils adjacent to them but under the rock patterns. As part of this study we also took several transects to identify the types of plants and the amount of ground they covered. This information will provide us with information about the photosynthetic processes of the landscape—how much carbon the plants are using and producing. Again, this information will help us learn about the cycling of carbon in the Arctic and how that carbon affects our climates.



After completing our studies at the pit site, we headed towards “P” Mountain to check out the view since the weather had cleared, and except for the bugs, we had a very clear and pleasant day to work in. The views at the top of “P” Mountain were nothing short of “awesome” We could see the Ice Sheet stretching towards the horizon, the glaciers flowing towards the sea, icebergs forming on the glacier’s edge, and snow-covered moraines as far as the eye could see. What a fantasti
User is offlineProfile CardPM
Go to the top of the page
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic
2 User(s) are reading this topic (2 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 



- NSF Acknowledgment & Disclaimer Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 11:14 PM