On a Road to Nowhere

Working at Summit is great, besides the fact that there is no where else to go. In fact I've lived the last seven weeks within about a mile radius of the Big House, without driving a motorized vehicle. That changed yesterday as I helped record measurements for a project called ICESat. Using bamboo poles in the ground we were able to perform ground validation for a satellite that measures the ice sheet mass balance. The height of the poles determine the amount of snow accumulation and the red pod has a GPS tracker on it to correlate the location with the measured depth. Actually the red pod is also used for emergencies in case inclement weather rolls in unexpectedly. I hadn't really ridden a snowmobile before so it was fun to try and good to get away from camp for a few hours.

The expanse of white and feeling of solitude is tough to capture in a picture so I tried to do so in the following short video. The furthest away from camp we got was about 4 miles and we could always see the station in the distance. The flags are well spaced for the entire route since they take these measurements once a week year round even in the dark. Honestly, I'm glad I'm not one of the people to head out in the dead of winter. It cold enough in the summer.

Flakes of Snow

One of my favorite sayings goes like this:
"Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else."
As a storm currently rips through Summit camp, my thoughts turn to the different manifestations of atmospheric dynamics. Snowflakes are unique, forming according to the surrounding conditions as they condense from supersaturated water into ice crystals. This well known chart illustrates the different types of snow crystals.

As a science tech, part of my responsibility is to document snowfall events and take pictures using the ICEPIC camera, developed by Chris at the University of Idaho. Since it is July and I'm in the middle of a snow storm with 23 knot winds I thought I share some of the interesting crystals from today.

These bullet rosettes are columns that form off of a solitary ice nucleation event and usually forms in groups of three (right-hand side of the above picture). The "bullets" often break up as seen in the left-hand side. Each type of snow crystal backscatters radiation differently thus there is great uncertainty in retrieving snowfall rates and using the a simple geometry for a generic snow crystal can lead to significant modeling errors. In the past I have also seen capped columns and quite a few types of dendrites which are much larger and fractal-like. I still have yet to find two that are exactly the same.

A New Layer

Once you get below the surface there exists layer upon layer of snow, each layer being unique. Wind, temperature and sunlight all effect the consistency of the snow. There has been a lot of ice core work done here that is valuable in discovering information about the history of earth. We are living in one of the warmer and more stable periods of earth's climate. Air molecules and various particles from past ages were trapped millions of years ago allowing the ice to serve as a sort of "two mile time machine". Ice near the surface gets compacted as new layers form above it and the foundation flows toward the sea, all the while carrying a wealth of information that can be extracted with the right techniques.

Above, my brother and I enjoy spending time with our great grandmother, Olga. In the same way, humans have built upon the foundation of previous generations, with each new generation being a truly unique layer influenced by experience.

Luckily I have two great parents who created a safe environment for me to enter the world with the appropriately bounded freedom to experience it. To the right, I enjoyed being carried on my dad's back as we walk through the woods.

Actually, Cathy and I are preparing to support another layer of life. That's right she's pregnant! She is starting her second trimester and so many thoughts race through my head every day since we found out the good news before I left the States. I am looking forward to being back in a month to prepare for the little one as her belly grows and the days get colder approaching the month of January. Hopefully we can provide the care and love that our family members have given us over the years. I know I'm very excited to see what kind of personality he/she has. From this ultrasound it seems the little one is enjoying the womb; kickin' it with legs crossed and head held high.

Visitors

It has been a busy week here at Summit. The carpenters are here for the rest of the summer to make improvements and repairs. A slew of reporters were here for a few days taking pictures and getting the scoop. It fun to think that what I'm doing everyday at the camp is interesting to a larger audience. I was able to say quite a lot about the instruments, and hopefully I was able to convey the importance of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Earth's energy balance. I'll keep on eye out for any publications that use information gathered from the last few days.
To the right, Marie launches a radiosonde while the reporters snap photos.


In addition there was a couple students from Dartmouth College here to test out their prototype robot that is meant to be fully autonomous, running off of solar power while collecting air samples over the ice.

Today a group of high school honor students arrived, hailing from Denmark, Greenland, and the United States. I showed them around a bit this morning, and let two of them launch the balloon.

This snowy afternoon Lance, Kris and I dug what will be a back lit pit allowing the kids to observe the different layers of ice.

Even though it has been busy I did have a chance to go kite boarding the other night. The wind wasn't very strong but I think I am getting the hang of the sailing on the ice.

Halfway Home

Looking back on the first part of my time at Summit, the experience thus far has expanded my views and has been a wonderful learning experience.

On the flip side I seem to be hitting the point where I am missing my life in Madison on a deeper level. I am certainly not complaining about my ability to have this summer adventure, yet I'm sure it is necessary to acknowledge where the grass is greener. Speaking of which, I miss the green grass and tranquil sunsets after a hot summer day, a cold beer on the terrace, or a contemplative stroll though the woods of a local park.

While these sensory experiences are missed, there is a deeper nostalgia for being a part of a family. My wife and I have shared a lot during our time in Madison, and it is the little things that add up to create the whole. From cooking new dishes made from local veggies grown at our friend's CSA to saying good morning to Huxley as she motivates off the couch. As a family we have created a place to call home that is welcoming, healthy and supportive. I've missed this all along but as the halfway point approaches this Thursday, I have found myself pining more than usual.

I know I will make the most of the second half of the Greenland experience but I can't help but think about warm embraces, green trees, and Sunday naps on the couch.

Summer Fun

Last night we played a round of bocce ball in the cold after dinner. It's good to get outside when the wind is low and have a little "summer" fun.

Although I didn't win the game, I scored a point on this round.Me, Brandon, Chris and Quentin

Quentin ending up winning the game with some nice shots but I got an extra point for finding his missing ball in this snow drift.

A few nights ago we played a round of golf. The best club to use is the 7 iron, and of course there are only right handed clubs up here. The winner gets to pick the next hole which is often a flag in the snow. I didn't lose a ball during the round which was a victory in my book .

Above: Lance with the short chip while Q and I try and find our golf balls in the snow trap.

Hole 18, back to the club house

Roommate

Although I have to share a room in the Greenhouse, I got lucky in the fact that I am sharing the room with Lance. He's the type of guy who is a veteran of the polar seasons, has numerous stories of harrowing adventures, and can fix an scientific instrument in no time at all. Last night I watched a DVD of his biking/mountaineering/kayak trip to Alaska and back from Washington. Certainly not for the faint of heart, and my opinion has been solidified that he is one who lives for adventure.

The other day the winds picked up to 15-20 knots and Lance was psyched to go kite skiing. Ripping down the skiway looked like a blast but I wondered exactly how easy it was to flying one of those kites. Fortunately he let me test it out with nothing strapped to my feet, and after a few kite crashes I got the hang of flying it while trying to lower it into the power zone. Once I was somewhat confident that the thing wouldn't carry me off into the sunset where the polar bears roam, I put on a snowboard for a test run. After only going about 10 yards at a time, with many kite crashes, it been determined I need to watch the DVD on Kite Boarding even if the instructions are for water not ice.

All in all, it's nice to have a laid-back, knowledgeable and adventurous roommate.

Sensory Perception

The views at Summit are amazing. . . . amazingly white. . . everywhere. I really can't step outside without my sunglasses or goggles. Not your typical summer, as I think of the spring flowers I enjoyed in Madison and the sneezing fits after a nice bike ride to my office.

Besides the occasional lost bird or flower in the window sill, the only living things are the fellow workers and the snow. It is interesting to notice the subtle changes from day to day, changing from crunchy to sparkly to textured and back again. (Talking about the snow, not co-workers)


Hoar frost, or "arctic moss" as my roomate Lance puts it, forms at night when the surface loses heat rapidly and water vapor sublimates, building intricate structures of ice crystals. After creating drifts during high winds, the low wind nights give the surface this subtle texture. Obviously not the vegetation of Wisconsin but it seems my senses are adjusting to what is around me.