Week 2
(Written Nov 1, posted Nov 5)
The weather has still been warm, with only a few days with substantial wind. Last night had the strongest winds. For the previous couple of days, we had some internet access, but I didn’t take advantage of it. I was planning to do so today, but the wind seems to have misaligned one of the repeaters or there is another problem, and we don’t have access today.
All has been going well in camp. Dale, Ian, and Tyler are diving regularly, collecting samples, taking photos and video, measuring light levels, measuring O2 levels, etc. Alfonso has been taking ice cores as well as studying the photosynthetic behavior of bacteria growing in and under rocks. Stephen has been helping with the diving and coring as well as maintaining a time lapse photo system and two meteorology stations. I’ve focused mostly on trying to understand microbialites by dissecting them. Small pinnacles from 8.5 m water depth were first submerged by water in the early 1990’s. They show a period of colonization, followed by regular laminae that are probably annual. After 5-8 laminae, depending on how you count them, there is a layer with lots of very fine sediment (rock flour), fluffy organics with only very rough laminations, and then two well defined layers. Right now, we are interpreting the change from annual laminae to roughly laminated mat as correlating to a period of rapid lake level rise in 2003. We are also trying to come up with ways to either prove or disprove this hypothesis. So far, all the data are consistent with a big change in mat texture with lake level rise.
Camp is much like it was last year in some ways. The cook tent is similar, but we have two more small tables in it than we did last year. They make it much easier to cook and wash dishes. The electronics/science tent at the main camp is much less busy, at least until Wayne gets here. It is thus a nice place to sit and work, or write a blog, which I’m doing now. The scott tent for the toilet is identical. Our individual mountain tents are by Sierra Designs, and they withstand the wind nicely. On the ice, the dive tent is oriented so that the door is pointing west, so the wind off the Taylor glacier doesn’t blow directly into it. It has a wood frame inside this year, which the dive gear hangs from. That makes the tent much more stable. The science tent also has more tables in it this year, so it is also easier to work in. We also brought less stuff, so things are less crowded. However, it is very busy with at least two of us working in it almost all day every day. We have to take turns. This year, I brought my own microscopes rather than using those provided by NSF. They are much better, which means that we want to spend more time using them. It has been very useful.
One difference for me this year is that I’ve spend much less time exploring Pearse Valley. The combination of having good samples right away and being familiar with the area have led to my not making walks a high priority. However, after two weeks, I’m feeling a bit of the strain of living with 5 other people. I’m usually only alone when I’m in my tent reading or sleeping. I need more time by myself than that. Walks are a good way to make that time.
The weather has still been warm, with only a few days with substantial wind. Last night had the strongest winds. For the previous couple of days, we had some internet access, but I didn’t take advantage of it. I was planning to do so today, but the wind seems to have misaligned one of the repeaters or there is another problem, and we don’t have access today.
All has been going well in camp. Dale, Ian, and Tyler are diving regularly, collecting samples, taking photos and video, measuring light levels, measuring O2 levels, etc. Alfonso has been taking ice cores as well as studying the photosynthetic behavior of bacteria growing in and under rocks. Stephen has been helping with the diving and coring as well as maintaining a time lapse photo system and two meteorology stations. I’ve focused mostly on trying to understand microbialites by dissecting them. Small pinnacles from 8.5 m water depth were first submerged by water in the early 1990’s. They show a period of colonization, followed by regular laminae that are probably annual. After 5-8 laminae, depending on how you count them, there is a layer with lots of very fine sediment (rock flour), fluffy organics with only very rough laminations, and then two well defined layers. Right now, we are interpreting the change from annual laminae to roughly laminated mat as correlating to a period of rapid lake level rise in 2003. We are also trying to come up with ways to either prove or disprove this hypothesis. So far, all the data are consistent with a big change in mat texture with lake level rise.
Camp is much like it was last year in some ways. The cook tent is similar, but we have two more small tables in it than we did last year. They make it much easier to cook and wash dishes. The electronics/science tent at the main camp is much less busy, at least until Wayne gets here. It is thus a nice place to sit and work, or write a blog, which I’m doing now. The scott tent for the toilet is identical. Our individual mountain tents are by Sierra Designs, and they withstand the wind nicely. On the ice, the dive tent is oriented so that the door is pointing west, so the wind off the Taylor glacier doesn’t blow directly into it. It has a wood frame inside this year, which the dive gear hangs from. That makes the tent much more stable. The science tent also has more tables in it this year, so it is also easier to work in. We also brought less stuff, so things are less crowded. However, it is very busy with at least two of us working in it almost all day every day. We have to take turns. This year, I brought my own microscopes rather than using those provided by NSF. They are much better, which means that we want to spend more time using them. It has been very useful.
One difference for me this year is that I’ve spend much less time exploring Pearse Valley. The combination of having good samples right away and being familiar with the area have led to my not making walks a high priority. However, after two weeks, I’m feeling a bit of the strain of living with 5 other people. I’m usually only alone when I’m in my tent reading or sleeping. I need more time by myself than that. Walks are a good way to make that time.
