Taking Lake Sediment Cores on the lake next to Long Lake
ZOMIGOD, SO TIRED!
Back from lake sediment expidition. We were out on the ice by ten to 9 this morning and we didn't finish until 6 tonight. I'm not going to say it was fun because there was a lot of standing around doing nothing while the "professionals" discussed worked out the mathmatics and fundimental stuff, as well as there were really only enough regular "jobs" for about five people. When they lifted the cores out of the water, I ended up screwing some poles together, but mostly we watched as Sam (our professor) and Tim (their professor) and his two students (graduates who had done this thing before) did all the heavy lifting while me and the other two boys from my class stood around and watched, listening intently when Sam or someone else was explaining what was going on, but otherwise not much else.
I will admit that it was very interesting to watch the first few tubes go down empty and then come back up filled with lake sediment, but after that it got really repetative since we pulled seven sediment tubes from the lake to create one entire core (each tube was about a meter long, and then we had an additional 40-80 feet of metal poles screwed together to get the tube down to the bottom of the lake in the first place - you do that math), and the process was exactly the same every time *.
However, it was a very good learning experience. And, I didn't get cold! Or at least not until the sun got really low and the winds picked up around 4:30/5:00.
That said, I am insanely tired. You wouldn't think trudging a quarter mile through ankle-deep, broken up crusty snow would be that challenging, but holy cow is it ever.
::collapses on her desk and goes to sleep::
* There are pictures, but I am soooo not shrinking and uploading them all tonight.
ETA
Also, snow held off all day! We didn't actually hit any at all until we passed through Wausau on the way back, so thank you all for the crossed fingers and good luck wishes sent our way. :)
Back from lake sediment expidition. We were out on the ice by ten to 9 this morning and we didn't finish until 6 tonight. I'm not going to say it was fun because there was a lot of standing around doing nothing while the "professionals" discussed worked out the mathmatics and fundimental stuff, as well as there were really only enough regular "jobs" for about five people. When they lifted the cores out of the water, I ended up screwing some poles together, but mostly we watched as Sam (our professor) and Tim (their professor) and his two students (graduates who had done this thing before) did all the heavy lifting while me and the other two boys from my class stood around and watched, listening intently when Sam or someone else was explaining what was going on, but otherwise not much else.
I will admit that it was very interesting to watch the first few tubes go down empty and then come back up filled with lake sediment, but after that it got really repetative since we pulled seven sediment tubes from the lake to create one entire core (each tube was about a meter long, and then we had an additional 40-80 feet of metal poles screwed together to get the tube down to the bottom of the lake in the first place - you do that math), and the process was exactly the same every time *.
However, it was a very good learning experience. And, I didn't get cold! Or at least not until the sun got really low and the winds picked up around 4:30/5:00.
That said, I am insanely tired. You wouldn't think trudging a quarter mile through ankle-deep, broken up crusty snow would be that challenging, but holy cow is it ever.
::collapses on her desk and goes to sleep::
* There are pictures, but I am soooo not shrinking and uploading them all tonight.
ETA
Also, snow held off all day! We didn't actually hit any at all until we passed through Wausau on the way back, so thank you all for the crossed fingers and good luck wishes sent our way. :)