Susan and Bjorn's participation in this project is supported by a generous grant from the
Dan and Betty Churchill Exploration Fund

Monday, August 1, 2005

Susan reports:
Fedchenko Glacier

We are doing well and are getting a lot accomplished. We've drilled two ice cores. The first is 12 meters long from a site at 5400 m. The second core is 9 meters long from the main Fedchencko glacier. The core quality is good, and the visual stratigraphy shows clear summer and winter layers. We’ve dug a large snowpit and it has been sampled for chemistry, isotopes, density, temperature and stratigraphy. Dan has finished setting up the meteorological station on a rock ridge very close to the first drill site.

Tomorrow we will spend the day sectioning the cores and taking samples to bring home with us. Our plan is to fly out on Wednesday.

I will try to check in again tomorrow.

 

Tuesday August 2, 2005

Susan reports:
Fedchenko Glacier

I have just finished sampling the second core, am tired and ready for bed. We had a very full day today, wrapping up all of our projects. Dan and Bjorn checked on the meteorological station, and it is ready to collect data for the coming year. Bjorn dug a snow pit this evening to help finish up Margit's snow sublimation studyt. Arzhan and Vicki did a GPS survey of the suroundingsurrounding area, and installed some stakes to monitor the velocity of the glaciers. Vladimir will use these data to model the flow of the glaciers.

Our work was interrupted by a short storm this afternoon, and we spent some time relaxing and playing poker. But we were lucky, we have achieved everything we set out to do this year, and have lots of lab work ahead of us.

We hope the storm lifts by morning, so the helicopter can get in. Our plan is to fly out tomorrow. We need to catch the flight out of Dushanbe on Saturday. If we miss it, we will be delayed another week. There is only one flight a week to Munich from Dushanbe.

We are all looking forward to a hot shower.