Today we traveled back in time. When I used to think of what was stored in permafrost, I envisioned partially decomposed, compressed plant and animal material in frozen soil. Today, I donned a hard hat and walked through the door of what looked like a tool shed into a permafrost tunnel and learned that my minds representation of permafrost was pretty far off.
Entrance to the Permafrost Tunnel in Fox, AK.
We visited the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory's Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility. Their website website (which is a great source of information and also has a virtual tour) defines permafrost as "soil and/or rock that has remained below 32 degrees F for more than two years." The tunnel, located about 16 miles north of Fairbanks, is a man-made excavation that allows you to literally walk into the ground and see what permafrost looks like. The main tunnel is about 110 feet long and tall enough that all 6'6" of me can walk throughout it. A smaller tunnel branches off for a little less than 150 feet, but has a much lower clearance (as shown in the photo below).
Not designed for the comfort of a 6'6
I was completely amazed that the organic material in the permafrost looked less like what I had envisioned, and more like what you see when you dig a hole in the ground to plant a tree. What we were able to see was material buried in silt 14,000 to 40,000 years ago and frozen. The deeper we went into the tunnel, the older that permafrost. We were able to catch a glimpse of the remains of some extinct animals. Mammoth and bison bones frozen in the walls were common. One thing that quite honestly blew my mind was that our guide, Arthur Gelvin, plucked a piece of grass from the wall that was approximately 20,000 years old, and it was still green! I felt lucky to get a glimpse of the planet that most people have never seen.
A blade of grass that is approximately 20,000 years old, and still green!
A great example of the types of organic material preserved in permafrost.
Living bacteria have been found frozen in the ice wedges of the tunnel. One sample was dated to 25,000 years.
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System
The PolarTREC orientation crew under the Trans Alaskan Pipeline. Photo courtesy of Zeb Polly.
The Trans Alaskan Pipeline. Roadside near Fox, Alaska.
Part of our trip from Fairbanks to the Permafrost Tunnel ran a route parallel to the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. This marvel of engineering carries oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska. In the past, I have read much about the opposition to the pipeline, but my mind shifted to the complexities of engineering that are associated with such a large-scale project in such a cold climate and across such inhospitable terrain. Close examination of the pipeline reveals that it isn't really bolted to the posts that hold it up. It turns out that this was a solution to one of the many problems posed by this challenging construction project. Once again, I looked to my side and found someone far more qualified than myself to give an explanation. Fellow PolarTREC teacher, Mark Paricio, is also an engineer. Mark graciously explains the design in this video.
Location of the Trans Alaskan Pipeline System. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
http://youtu.be/N7YniRJr89Q
A Glimpse of Denali
Quite content with what I had seen already, this day had one more treat in store. As we made our way back into Fairbanks, we could see some far-off mountains in the Alaska Range. Then one mountain stood out as a giant among the others. This incredibly clear day gave us a view of Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain on the continent. I prefer the name given by Native Americans, Denali, meaning "the high one" or "the great one." I was stunned by the scale of this mountain as compared to its neighbors. I was on my way to Denali National Park in a few days, but knew that the likelihood of seeing it required a rare, exceptionally clear day.
Mt. McKinley (Denali) from Fox, Alaska.
What a day for a science teacher!
Polar Quiz
What is in this picture?
Can you identify what is in this picture?
Check tomorrow's posting for the answer.
Yesterday's Answer: A walrus skull found in a quirky downtown Fairbanks gift shop.