Summit science group, Summer 2003
Many of them are on their way back with Jack for the March-May 2004 season!
Updates: |
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| 3/15/04 |
Jack and his team of scientists take off for Greenland from the 109th Airlift Wing of the NY Air Guard based in Scotia, NY (near Albany). The scientists are from all over the US, but Kelly Bridges (BS 2000, UNH) is also from New Hampshire and will be in charge of the ion chromatogram that will analyze the air and snow samples that Jack collects. Another New Hampshire connection is Barry Lefer, who completed both his Masters and PhD Degrees at UNH and now works at NCAR in Colorado. . After a 5.5 hr flight they arrive in Kangerlussuaq (a town on the Sondrestrom Fjord near the coast of Greenland). For current weather there look here |
Jack boards the flight from Scotia, NY to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland 
Barry Lefer |
Kelly (left) after arrival
in Kangerlussuaq - looks cold already!
Closeup of ski |
| 3/16/04 |
Jack and the team are hoping for a
10 am take-off to Summit Camp (on
the Greenland ice-cap). Of course success is always weather permitting!
It's not unusual to make the 3 hour flight all the way to the camp,
only to discover that conditions have changed so much that visibility is
not good enough for a landing. The aircraft
then has to turn around and fly all the way back to Kangerlussuaq carrying
all the passengers and cargo with it. For current Summit weather see here. |
LC-130 skier on the runway in kangerlussuaq |
David Tanner, Steve Sjostedt (both from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA) and Jack Dibb onboard an LC-130 |
| 3/16/04 (Cont.) |
They all made it to Summit! As soon as they
landed there was a flurry of effort required to get all the sensitive equipment
(not to mention the resupplies of fresh food!) labeled "Do Not Freeze"
inside in the warm before it was solid. At an
ambient temperature below -35C (-31F) and wind chill down around
-45C (-50F) they don't have much time at all! |
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| 3/17/04 |
After a long night with 12 of the 14 scientists
sleeping in cots inside the heated berthing tent, they are now up and about
and are starting to unpack and set up their equipment. Unfortunately, 2 scientists (Steve and Frank) are feeling unwell from the effects of the high altitude (which feels like more than 12,000 ft) so they slept on the couches in the Big house, where there is access to supplemental oxygen if they need it. The sudden altitude change is a big shock to the system when flying directly from sea level with no chance to acclimatize gradually. Even Jack woke with a dull headache. |
Berthing tent (left) and Big House (right) |
NO instrument and part of formaldehyde box |
| 3/17/04 evening |
Steve and Frank are feeling much better,
but still taking it easy. |
What's for Dinner tonight? - Yellow fin tuna with spinach salad and fresh asparagus - yummy! |
Kitchen at Summit |
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