Today was a nice mix of weather and work. We can't use the snowmobile any longer due to the melting snow. We don't want to destroy the tundra by running over it. So we drove the jeep as far as we could on the trail at the end of the road and then we walked for a while to the study site. It was a nice hike.
When we arrived at the site we went to work. Dr. Natali worked at clearing the last of the snow from the study sites in Area B. I spent most of the day taking down the rest of the snow fences. During the day it became cloudy and even snowed just a tiny bit. Several times today we heard and saw cranes flying west high over our heads. I hope to get a good look at some of these birds.
Dr. Natali did enter the data for the snow depths that we measured last week and she created these graphs of the numbers. Remember that the graphs are really just data, or numbers, turned in to pictures.
This is the graph of the snow depth from Site B, Area 2.
This data comes from Study Area A from Fence 2, which is the east side of the study area. You can easily see how the snow fence has changed the amount of snow that accumulated on both sides. As you look at the direction of the wind can you understand why the snow piles up on the leeward side of the fence?
This second graph shows the same data, but the angle of view has been shifted so that you are looking more from the side. Can you see where the fence would be? How high do you think the fence was?
This is the same graph at a different angle of view.
Later on we will have the data on the ground temperatures under these areas and then we will be able to look for patterns on the relationship between the snow depth and the temperature of the ground and the plants underneath.