Blog Tundra Stories: Introducing the Research Team

This year AWI will send a team of eight scientists to the Samoylov Island in the Lena-Delta in Russia.

Dr. Julia Boike

Dr. Julia Boike directs the Helmholtz-University Young Researchers Group "Sensitivity of the permafrost in the Arctic". The Potsdam based research scientist has visited the island of Samoilov for more than ten years now. For the group, the greatest challenges this summer lie in the field work exploring the island and its surroundings, while developing ideas for future research projects and appropriate locations and circumstances.

Dr. Moritz Langer

Dr. Moritz Langer has been involved in activities around the Samoylov Research Station since 2007 and is the scientific coordinator of all AWI research at the site. His main responsibilities this summer will include taking care of already installed facilities and construction of a new station. He also announced that from time to time he will also be available to cook for the team. Whether and how the team will like his cookings, will reported on the blog.

Max Heikenfeld

Max Heikenfeld is the newcomer in the team and is looking forward to see how the techniques he has learned so far only in theory, will be applied in practice. The 24-year-old physics student from the University of Heidelberg is also responsible for the blog "Tundra Stories" and will therefore probably speak out a little more often than his colleagues. His main expedition goal is to collect data for his master thesis.

Karoline Wischnewski

Karoline Wischnewski, will travel for the second time to northern Siberia. She is the groups expert on technology. The young engineer will be responsible for replacing items and recalibrating sensors. She will need to keep a special eye on the many ponds in the area - why, it reveals itself later.

Guenter "Molo" Stoof

Engineer Guenter Stoof is the "expert on emergencies and everything the others can not do". The camp caretaker will repair ruptured water pipes and torn boots. He finds the hidden loose connection on the alternator, is concerned of firewood, organizes trips and transports every Sunday and takes care of the pots and pans. On Sundays, thus, the Camp's cook has a day off.

Waldemar Schneider

Waldemar Schneider is the logistics expert of the team. He navigates in the Russian visa jungle, organizes and manages the cargo, and cares for guests and visiting scholars. His knowledge of the station is indispensable in expeditions to the Lena Delta.

Dr. Hanno Meyer

Hanno Meyer is a geologist and responsible for the isotope laboratory of the AWI Research Unit Potsdam. His has done research in Siberia since 1998, but 2002 was the first time he visited the Samoylov Island. This year, the scientists will work together with a small team on the island outside of the Lena Delta reconstructing past climates from Permafrost. 

Dr. Thomas Opel

Dr. Thomas Opel will arrive in August to his fourth expedition to the Siberian Arctic. He is involved in the reconstruction of the regional climate and environmental development in the last few millennia. To work together with colleagues he will stay about two weeks in a field camp on the island east of the Lena Delta Muostakh. There, and later also in the vicinity of the Samoylov Island, he will investigate permafrost deposits. His main interest is the abundant ground ice (ice wedges in particular), of which he will take plenty of samples.



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Main page of the English translation of the blog "Tundra Stories": http://page21.org/blogs/59-samoylov
Original German blog: http://www.awi.de/de/go/Tundra-Stories