The Field Work Is Complete

Today we completed our last day in the field as we visited two sites to collect soil samples and to count seedlings.

At one site we used a permafrost core to go down about two meters to get below the permafrost. Beneath the permafrost was sand and a small piece of a sea shell. Yes, once upon a time the land where this tundra exits today was once part of a sea.

When using the permafrost core the organic matter that we are bringing up has been beneath the surface for thousands of years and has quite a stinch. A question for your notebook: Why does organic matter have such a strong order?

The depth of the permafrost at the different sites that we have explored has been anywhere from 27cm to to 47cm. At two locations we have used the permafrost core to find out how thick the permafrost is, those depths have been 1.5 meters and 2.0 meters thick. Beneath the permafrost at both locations has been the evidence of sand and minerals.

Tomorrow we have some lab work to finish up and then begin the process of cleaning up the lab, and packing for the 11:00am flight home on Tuesday. I fly from Churchill to Minneapolis, MN to Nashville, with a scheduled arrival in Nashville at 10:00pm on Tuesday night.

Listed below is a link that has some new photos, including your Polar Bear.

Updated Photos From Churchill, MB