In typical Barrow fashion, the weather changed – cold, raining, and windy. I think it is a great time to discuss a typical day. Since arriving to Utqiaġvik, there is a lot that goes on everyday, but its makes the days go by fast! We stay at the Ukpik Hotel which is designated for researchers. We
Be honest. When was the last time you were in a place that didn't have cell phone reception or wifi? We rarely experience a moment anymore when our friends and family aren't a quick call, text, email, snapchat, or video call away. For better or worse, we can document our lives and share instantly
Following the outline of the Alaskan coastline from my plane window, I saw large areas of wetlands and bogs finally give way to snowcapped volcanoes and mountains. Finally the plane descended through voluminous cloud layers and wove among the lush green mountains of Unalaska. And with a sudden
Learning is never done Last night we were fortunate to meet the crew of National Ecological Observation Network (NEON) at the airport. NEON is an NSF funded project, for the next 30 years will collect data throughout the US in their respective domain. The NEON Observatory is designed to collect
On a map, the Aleutian Islands look as effortless as a "connect-the-dots" activity. Getting to Dutch Harbor, however, has proven to be a much greater challenge for several reasons. Dutch Harbor has unique weather patterns due to cold, dry Arctic air from the north converging with low pressure
First Day of Sampling So I learned that the sun set today for only a minute at around 2am in Barrow. It won't REALLY set until the beginning of August. Today was our field day in Alaska! Starting the day, it was a cool 50 F as per the weather station in the field. Our first stop was at the
Traveling to Utqiaġvik (Barrow) Packing for Barrow was very hard, checking the weather, going to extreme weather (ridiculously hot) to super cold weather. As I am packing for Alaska it is about 85F at 8pm. After packing my field gear and some stuff that we'll need in the field for the lab, three
Operation IceBridge is an aerial survey that measures both land and sea ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic. There are many reasons to monitor the polar regions. The cryosphere is essential in helping to maintain global climate. One important reason is to investigate sea level rise. Land ice can cause sea levels to rise, when it melts, by adding
The final countdown is here – I leave home tomorrow morning. It's hard to believe that in just over a week we will be in Lake Peters, where it will be 30˚ cooler than Boulder! I am scrambling to finish last minute details: packing, preparing my house, hanging out at the coffee shop completing
Spring and summer are busy for teachers. End of year grading, standardized tests, juggling summer schedules to accomodate work and play, conferences, summer jobs, and planning for the next year... summer break is much busier for teachers than most people think. Spring and summer are also busy for
