No More Pits

Last week was a hard one. I did 5 two-meter snow pits in 8 days. My science is now done. I have analyzed some of the data and backed it up on multiple computers. Last week I traveled over 100 km to get to my sites, learned to load and strap down sleds and was allowed to leave camp on my own. I was happy to have mastered all the skills to travel competently on an ice sheet. It is easier to travel around Summit because there are no crevasses and topography like there was at Swiss camp.

I went through three field assistants last week. Only Bob Hawley and Justin were insane enough to help me on two pits days. The upside is that working hard has allowed me to sleep well with the 24 hours of sunlight.



I have posted a few picture of me in my pits. First I dig the pit. Then I record the stratigraphy, grain type, grain size, density and Dimethyl phthalate casts of the snow. Dimethyl phthalate casts are taken by cutting out blocks of snow and putting them in Tupperware. You then add a chemical that at cold temperatures basically turns the snow into plastic. Later in the lab this can be analyzed. It is a way to take an exact replica of the snow structure home with you. While I am doing these measurements, my assistant starts the thermal conductivity. This part of the pit takes about 2 hours.




Once the thermal conductivity measurements are completed I dig a hole into the side of the pit. The hole is big enough to fit the radiometer inside with 1.5 meters of snow above the radiometer. The radiometer is a bit of a pain of an instrument for the field. It has to be constantly calibrated. This is done by pointing the radiometer at the sky. This has to be done out side the pit. So this is how my extinction length measurements go. I stand in the bottom of the 2 meter pit. I put the radiometer in the hole and take measurements for 2 minutes. Then I left the 45 pound radiometer to my field assistant out side the pit. The field assistant takes the sky measurements while I attempt to cut a perfect 10 cm block out of the snow pit. Now there is 1.4 meters of snow above the radiometer. Then the heavy radiometer is lifted back into the pit. Then back out, back in, back out, back in…. Each time there is less snow in front of the Radiometer and thus the extinction length is determined. This also takes about 2 hours. Then the pit is filled in, sled loaded, ski doo coaxed into starting again and I return to camp usually in time for dinner.



I am happy that my data has all been gathered. I have repacked my science boxes and printed the shipping labels to get them home safely.