Over the last two days we have been mapping and taking sediment samples of the moraines and river sediments (meltwater outwash) in the Zackenberg valley. This involved walking around an area of hummocky moraine and stream cuttings to map the landforms and make detailed observations of the sediments. Unlike ‘classic’ moraine, which usually forms in … Continue reading Saturdays are for: Sun, Swimming, and (S)champagne
Category: SEDIGAP – Investigating sediment and meltwater dynamics in an area of Arctic permafrost
We are just at Zackenberg base recovering from a 17-hour walk to and from our field site. We set off yesterday at 10 am and returned this morning at around 3.30am. The purpose of the trip was to locate the best route to our field sites, and to check the condition of the meltwater streams … Continue reading M is for: mapping, moraines, musk ox, and mosquitos
Day 1 of the Geo-CAICS project and we have been busy making plans for our fieldwork – selecting our field sites and mapping out our intended route. We have chosen several outlet glaciers from the ice caps closest to Zackenberg, these are all within a short walking distance (c. 20 km or so). We intend … Continue reading Proper planning and plentiful pudding prevents poor project performance
We’ve made it to Zackenberg! We touched down today at around 3pm after several short flights from Reykjavik. After our flights from the UK, we met up in Keflavik airport before catching a bus into Reyjavik town centre where we enjoyed some dinner sat out in the sunshine while awaiting an internal flight to Akureyri … Continue reading Touch down in Zackenberg
Team SEDIGAP are back - though this time as GEO-CAICS, a new EU-INTERACT funded project investigating the GEOlogical Controls on Arctic Ice Cap Sensitivity. Because the new project is related to our previous work we'll be using our blog space from last year. This field season we are going to Zackenberg in East Greenland. We … Continue reading Heading for Zackenberg!
After our last exploits in Blæsdalen we had two days back at Arctic Station to rest and recoup, as well as some last minute checks of the GPR gear. This happened to coincide with the departure of one of the other groups staying here, from Copenhagen. To celebrate their time here they invited everyone to … Continue reading The End Is Nigh!
35 km, 20 hours of walking, 12 mosquito bites, 6 meltwater streams, 5 sediment samples, 2 packets of Soreen, and 1 tent. Today we are having a rest day after a tiring two day trek around Blaesdalen. We needed to get to Chamberlain Glacier now that the snow has gone so that we can identify … Continue reading Ain’t no mountain high enough, Ain’t no valley low enough, Ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you
We have had a very exciting few days here on Disko while we prepare for our hike up to Chamberlain Gletscher. Yesterday the weather closed in and we were unable to make any major trips up Blaesdalen. The bright sunshine had given way to a thick, grey fog and drizzle. Great for keeping the mosquitos … Continue reading A nice meltwater stream makes everything OK
It has been a busy few days in the SEDIGAP camp. After arriving on Friday we have spent the last few days getting the ground penetrating radar (GPR) running and collecting some data close to the field centre. We have been gathering some scans of the permafrost active layer over an area that is being … Continue reading A game of two halves
Following our quick stay in Aasiaat we have now reached our home for the next two weeks – Arctic Station! We spent a very enjoyable morning in Aasiaat with a leisurely walk around the town, followed by a 3 hour boat journey across Disko Bay to Qeqertarsuaq. The boat trip was great fun, and it … Continue reading Planes, trains, and automobiles
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