March 7, 2008 Arctic Science #1
Reindeer and PermaFrost Tunnel Science
There is lots of science work happening up here in Alaska. We were fortunate to have a chance to learn about two very different projects going on. The first was a visit to the University of Alaska – Fairbanks to learn about the Reindeer Research Program. The Reindeer Research Program is dedicated to the development and promotion of the reindeer industry on the Seward Peninsula and throughout Alaska. (from their website, http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu/index.php) Here’s a picture of one of their subjects.
The visit to the reindeer project gave us a chance to see how scientists are working with the native people and others to produce high quality, local food.
We learned about the history of the reindeer, the importance of reindeer for the native and non-native people, and the way these domesticated animals function. That was the science of the project, the fun of the project was visiting with the animals in their pens. They were very friendly and enjoyed eating the chunks of lichen that we offered. The more I looked at the reindeer, the more I realized that they would need some pretty serious magic to get Santa’s sleigh up off the ground.
The PermaFrost Tunnel was the second example of science we saw here in the Fairbanks area. Dr. Matthew Sturm explained how the tunnel has been used as a laboratory for all sorts of different experiments. Ice corings and sublimination were two that caught my attention.
There were a number of experiments going on in the PermaFrost Tunnel. This one involved doing corings into the soil and ice to investigate the different layers of materials.
The PermaFrost Tunnel has a variety of experiments going on at any one time. This particular experiment tracks what happens to the soil materials as the ice subliminates, or goes directly from a solid state to a gaseous state. Some scientists think similar processes could be at work on Mars!! Go figure, a connection between Fairbanks, AK and Mars.
In addition to the experiments, numerous bones and other materials shed light on life long ago.
This old sign identifying an even older bone was an interesting part of the PermaFrost Tunnel. Over the years, quite a few animal remains have been found. There is a possibility that there will be more life found in some of the permafrost's frozen water.
Each of these projects shows how scientists can help people better understand what is going on in Alaska and beyond. The changing climate impacts all of these people and projects. I wonder how they will change in the coming years.
This journal entry was started in Fairbanks, and then finished here in VT. I apologize for not having the information up sooner. Look for more journal entries and photos in the next few days.