Today’s Journal
A few weeks ago a huge bag arrived on my doorstep with my Arctic gear.
The Arctic gear bag arrives!
It was pretty exciting to see what sort of gear I will be taking to the Arctic. As you can see in the photo below, there are a couple pairs of rain pants, down jacket, rain jacket, and many pairs of gloves. Most importantly the insulated Xtra Tuffs (boots) that should keep my feet warm and dry.
Specialized gear for the Arctic
Since I will be on the tundra during the melt season, I should see a lot of changes in the landscape. I am told that as the snow melts the tundra gets rather squishy and rain gear and boots are a must. The run-off will be an important time for our research. My two researchers, Dr. Tamara Harms and Dr. Sarah Godsey are on their way up to to the field station now and I will be joining them in just under a week. As you can see below, I am ready to go!
Melissa dressed for the tundra, photo by Justin Tamplin
I had a little fun trying on all my clothes to make sure my layers would work. Check out the video below to see what I will be wearing in the Arctic in May.
Video of me dressing:
http://youtu.be/rivHeZzFe9g
Question to Ponder
How long will it take for the tundra to be snow free? What sort of melting patterns will we see in the tundra? Will certain areas melt faster than others? I’ll let my biology students think on this one of a bit and update you once I get up to the field station.