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A research team from the VU-Amsterdam represented by Ko van Huissteden (PI), Ron Lootens (technician) and Luca Belelli Marchesini (post doctoral researcher) spent two weeks at the end of April in Kytalyk Russia to start the measurements campaign 2013.
Their main targets were the collection of meteorological winter time data, the maintenance and enhancement of solar/wind powered energy systems, the restart of eddy covariance CO2/energy flux measurements at the "tundra site" and the set up of a new flux tower for CO2/CH4 and energy fluxes on the bank of a thermokarst lake (N70.82748; E147.42119).
Here below you can read a summary blog from Ko Van Huisteden from the field trip.
Starting up methane and carbon dioxide flux measurements at the Kytalyk field station is done before the spring thaw start, because the station cannot be reached over water or land once the spring thaw sets in. Luca Belelli, technician Ron Lootens, IBPC PhD Roman Petrov and me set out from Chokurdagh on snow scooters and sledges, racing through the frozen tundra on one of the last days of April. We were towing four sledges in total, one with the food store for the next summer, two with our equipment and luggage and the fourth one with us, poor passengers.
In particular sitting on the front of the sledge, just behind the snow scooter proved a somewhat uneasy ride, because of the exhaust gases and the heavy bumping over snow dunes and ice wedge polygon ridges.
The next day was hard work in sunny weather. A strong cold wind caused a haze of ice cristals in the air, resulting in the most fantastic halos around the sun. This added some welcome decoration because it was Dutch Queens day. In the lunch break Luca surprised us with a small parade with the Dutch flag tied to a walking stick.
As a tradition, a stop is made at the last tree. This is a small, thin larch, no more than a meter high. For good luck, everyone should drink a glass of vodka and leave something behind in the tree. The poor thing is decorated with all kinds of small objects. With some difficulty I found a price tag in the pockets of my coat and added it to the tree. After a tough two hours ride we finally reached the station.
The goal this time was to move one of the instrument towers, including its power supply consisting of a windmill and solar panels. It should be moved from the edge of the river floodplain to the bank of a permafrost thaw lake, two and a half kilometers from the base camp. The right location was pinpointed last summer with a GPS, nevertheless it proved difficult to find it exactly. The lake ice is at that location almost level with the polygon tundra at the shore, so it was hardly perceptible. Also most of the tower parts had to be dug up from below a snow dune at the old location. A day later we could transport everything the new site.
The next day was hard work in sunny weather. A strong cold wind caused a haze of ice cristals in the air, resulting in the most fantastic halos around the sun. This added some welcome decoration because it was Dutch Queens day. In the lunch break Luca surprised us with a small parade with the Dutch flag tied to a walking stick.
Back to work - late in the evening the green light on the methane analyzer started blinking – we're up and running! The data from the meteo tower showed that it worked well again throughout the winter – powered by solar panels and a small windmill. The lowest temperature on record was minus 50 degrees. It takes more time to set up the second eddy covariance system, the tower that remains on a fixed place near the station. The weather detoriated – snow and strong wind. Although it was not cold, the field laptop had problems.
The weather forecast, transmitted by my wife everyday to the satellite phone, suggested upcoming thaw. We decide to leave a day earlier. Back to Chokurdagh, with very sunny weather. On the tundra nothing to be seen of thaw yet, but when we arrive in Chokurdagh the streets are already muddy. It was amazing that also a small town of two and a half thousand inhabitants appears to have a well developed city heat island.
Best regards,
Ko Van Huisteden
Expedition to Chokurdakh (Sakha Republic) 23 April - 5 May 2013
23 April, Amsterdam-Dusseldorf
As my train approached Cologne (Köln) central station, clearly not my scheduled destination of Düsseldorf, my faith in Deutsch Bahn was deeply shaken. At the travel centre a clerk explained, with some embarrassment, the reasons behind the chaos into which the regional train system had plunged this afternoon and I was issued a new ticket at no extra cost.
Fortunately I Pay Day Loans had adequate time to correct the Deutsch Bahn error and forty minutes later I arrived in Düsseldorf where I was to meet up with Ko (van Huissteden) and Ron (Lootens). Meeting Ron first we took a short walk along the left bank of the Rhine passing by numerous outdoor seating areas of bars where small crowds sat anticipated the arrival of a warmer spring. Ko joins us later in our hotel.
Luca
Expedition to Chokurdakh (Sakha Republic) 23 April - 5 May 2013
24 April, Dusseldorf-Moscow
An early start (5.15) to catch the flight to Moscow and after a few hours in the air we land at Domodedovo airport. Passing rapidly through customs control, luggage collection, we arrive in the airport's main hall which reminds me of a typical bazaar from a central Asian town. The only elements missing were the colourful displays of spices, replaced here with the contrasting tints of the usb car charger for electronic cigarette passthrough nylon bags of the travellers, all rigorously wrapped by multiple rounds of sellotape.
The air in the waiting rooms is kind of futuristic, there must be a CO2 concentration of at least 2000 ppm. That is exactly the future that we are strive to avoid and not only in regards of the chemistry of the atmosphere but also because of the impossibility to find a free seat in a super crowded yet recently renovated airport.
Luca
Expedition to Chokurdakh (Sakha Republic) 23 April - 5 May 2013
25 April, Yakutsk
Leaving Moscow behind we fly over the taiga, across the Urals and the west Siberian lowland where the river Ob and its tributaries draw sinuous lines in the ice. As we fly further east reaching night, the full moon lights up the Siberian landscape, still perfectly crystallized by winter frost.
The light is magnificent, the ashen moonlight of the cloudless sky is progressively strengthened by reddish beans of light. Looking northwards the sky becomes a gradient of colours, ranging from purples to oranges, which precedes the sun, just hidden behind the north cap. The scene is a privilege for whomever flies along these high latitude routes and it is difficult to remain indifferent to the scene, even after many trips.
Once over the Yenisey, the land is sufficiently lighted so we can clearly distinguish the details of the huge basaltic platform stretching over western Yacutia. The last electric lights of a village and a mining facility, appear like buoys in the middle of the ocean, sliding out of view. Then nothing more, no trace of any dwelled place or human construction, at least judging from a height of 10 km. Only the work of nature is on online casino blog view which began 500 million year ago during the Cambrian period, with a massive volcanic activity followed by years of erosion, creating the geological structure we see today. The particular rock stratification of this region causes the larches forests, the dominant tree species in this extreme climate, to grow in stripes appearing as contour lines of a topographic map.
It is almost morning and we start to descend gently towards Yakutsk. Scattered villages are preceded by a huge kymberlite mine, the best modern representation of Dante Alighieri's hell, concentric circles pointing down to the centre of the earth.
The day was spent in downtown Yakutsk, choosing to ignore jet lag in order to buy the last necessities and organise the departure for Chokurdakh the next day. We also met Roman (Petrov), who will join us for the fieldwork in the tundra.
Yakutsk welcomed us with plenty of sun, a temperature around 0°C, and already quite some dust in the air, which is a typical summer feature here. Nevertheless, most striking were the smiles of the young people strolling along the main street and in general the relaxed attitude of the people, in deep contrast to the hasty manners found in Moscow.
Yakutsk welcomed us with plenty of sun, a temperature around 0°C, and already quite some dust in the air, which is a typical summer feature here. Nevertheless, most striking were the smiles of the young people strolling along the main street and in general the relaxed attitude of the people, in deep contrast to the hasty manners found in Moscow.
Here we are in Siberia indeed.
Luca