19 June, 2001

Tuesday, June 19, 2001

The ice samples that we cut yesterday melted in the Ziploc bags and were ready for filtering, the first step before analyzing them for strontium. Gordon set up an electric pump that can handle seven water samples at a time (see picture). Each sample was pumped through a 1/4"-diameter paper filter so that the paper will absorb the chemicals in the water. After 45 minutes, the filters are laid out to dry while another seven samples are pumped through the filter. The filters will then be sent to Gordon's lab for strontium analysis. We were able to finish 60 samples today, a slow process when you realize we have about 820 total to do. This is the unexciting, but necessary part of science: the preparation and analysis before making any conclusions. It is tedious, but well worth it.

Pumping the water samples through the filters <>