Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 06/01/2009 - 10:27
Forums
Geologic Climate Research in Siberia

Hi, this is David, Erin & Megan from South Lake High School. We were wondering based on your research could you predict the climate for Siberia in 2000 years? Also we were wondering how you were able to deal with the cold for such a long time... We would go crazy!! =]

                                                                                                      -David, Megan & Erin.
Wed, 06/03/2009 - 03:37

Tim Martin

David, Megan, and Erin
Most of the measurements to start to figure out the climate record will be started this fall.  What we did up at Lake E was to collect the samples for more detailed study in labs in Europe and the US so we are not ready to make any conclusions yet...
As far as predicting the future, the first step is understanding the past.  If we can understand past climate changes and compare what was happening in Siberia to what we know has happened in other places around the earth, we will have better tools for predicting the future. 
The goal of this expedition is to gain a better understanding of the past history, then climate modeling scientists will use our data along with data from many other locations to try and predict what may happen in the future.
So eventually we hope our work will not only help predict future climate in Siberia, but lead to a greater understanding of global climate patterns.
As far as dealing with the cold... It was not so bad!  I had plenty of warm clothes and I was quick to adjust.  When it was just -10 or -15 F, I felt comfortable in just a fleece.  If the wind was blowing that was different!  Then I would grab my parka every time I went out.  The only trouble I had with the cold was when I was using my camera... I could not take the pictures I wanted with mittens on, so I often had cold fingers.
Now that I am home in NC, we have been having weather more than 100 degrees warmer than what I experienced in Russia!  I am ready to go back to the cold! 
T-Mart