Field work and my favorite field sites.

Once I got my field methods all up and running, I was in the field getting samples almost every day. Of all of the days that I was there, I think there were 2 out of the 10 or so sampling excursions during which it did not, at some point, rain. The weather was definitely not fantastic while I was there, but, when I was wearing 2 pairs of long underwear, 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of wool socks, 4 shirts, and 3 jackets, I found that I could handle the cold somewhat.

Field work features some super fashionable gear. Thankfully, there weren't very many mirrors in camp, so most of the time I had no idea what I looked like. Sometimes I'd get all kitted out for the field and just start giggling because I looked so ridiculous. The gear really does have a purpose, though, and I was SO thankful for my rain pants and muck boots!

I did a bunch of sampling at a site called Imnavait Creek over there 3 weeks that I was in Alaska.

Trip #1:

Sampling with George.

Trip #2:

Trip #3:

Imnavait after a lot of rain, and the attack of the flag monster.

Trip #4:

I love this beaded stream!

Another site that I sampled multiple times was the Tussock Watershed, which featured all of the major vegetation covers of the Arctic where we were: wet sedge, birch/willow, heath, and tussock (clearly!).

Trip #1:

Trip #2:

Wet Sedge.

Birch/Willow.

Tussocks!

Sucking soil water with giant needles.

Heath.

Trip #3:

View over Toolik Lake.

An interesting thing about working with these water samples is that the water itself was so cold! Because it's running over permafrost, the water can be about 35-40 F when you first get it out of the soil! (This definitely does not help me to stay warm in the field...)

Overall, I think I really like field work. It's nice to get out of the lab, and I really enjoyed learning to think a different way, and to approach chemistry from a different perspective and with a different style. I had to be more creative and fly by the seat of my pants a little more, but I liked it!