24 March, 2000

Getting to the CORE of the matter.

Today was my last day out on the lakes for the winter season.

The heat fluxes from Tuesday indicate that the lakes are beginning to take IN heat from the atmosphere rather than to lose it. Have

the lakes reached their maximun ice thicknesses? The next few

weeks will tell.

Martin decided to bring an ice corer with us today so that we

could get a look at the effects that surface flooding has had

on the crystalline composition of the ice. It was another beautiful day out at Poker Flat, and (once again) the temperatures went

above freezing. Martin and Tina plan to collect ice cores on

their next trip. The cores will be packed into insulated tubes,

and transported back to the Geophysical Institute. There, the

ice will be sliced vertically in order to study its structure.

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Tina (a PhD. student whose expertise is sea ice) readies the corer for action. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

The blade of the corer is extremely sharp. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

Martin prepares to use the corer by attaching an electric drill. What ever happened to elbow grease?? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

Using a portable electric generator for power, Martin is able to cut through the ice in record time! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

Martin is smiling because this is MUCH easier than coring by hand!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

TA-DA!! Martin holds the prize after only two or three minutes. Notice the distinct bands within the ice. ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

The ice core is placed on a sled so that it can be measured. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

Here you can clearly see about 36cm of "snow ice" (the white ice formed when the snow-covered lake surface is flooded.) There are at least two distinct layers of snow ice, corresponding to at least two separate flooding events. Notice the clearer "congelation" ice on the right. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

This core is has appoximately 40cm of "congelation" ice. Congelation crystals grow vertically, unless the lake is flooded & unfrozen at the surface. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!

Martin sketches the core and carefully records his measurements in the data book. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------bad advertisement ---------------- Sent from a WebBox - http://www.webbox.com FREE Web based Email, Files, Bookmarks, Calendar, People and Great Ways to Share them with Others!