Mud And Rocks For Learning

If you are not familiar with the specimen then you may think that the plastic vials and bags contain pure rubbish

. But the origin of the samples, the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica will keep scientists busy for years to come. Something as simple as mud can provide much data, according to a college senior. The National Science Foundation funded a trip lasting a month for a handful of people from one college and university and this college senior belonged to the chosen few who explored Antarctica. When it comes to research travel, these schools have been exposed to them already.

The first part of the expedition aboard a research vessel was departing from Punta Arenas Chile in early February. They found themselves heading for the Larsen Ice Shelf on the east of the Antarctic Peninsula which was unknown territory. It has been said that they were the first explorers to reach that place. The boat ran at a slow pace as they measured the ocean's depth with sonar. Students and researchers were able to get several water and sediment samples from the deck as well as video footage. Decades may pass before the samples are analyzed completely.

Mud composition as well as the amount of water it is able to hold are all important factors that will be studied to establish a connection with global warming. Most of the students consider this to be an occasion of chance. In general, a student says the trip is a chance to see how it really is. The path to graduate school for this student, a native of Scotland, involves global warming. Another student confirms that she wouldn't mind being on a ship for the rest of her life, who will continue her studies next year at one university's school of Oceanography.

They fared well in the extreme weather conditions they encountered in the Southern Hemisphere. They compared it to Upstate New York. Never mind the cold days if the sun rose and set at 430 am and 930 pm respectively. Some pain may be encountered from the brightness when you look out the window. Civilization may be lacking but that did not prevent science 24 seven. For the students, shifts ran from midnight to noon or the other way around. During their off hours students slept in bunk beds built into the walls and caught movies in a group lounge.

Every student is still expected to abide by some rules. Should something serious occur, a senior must be told. One senior student was roused to check out a newly discovered surface volcano and to visit with an emperor penguin. Sleeping was obsolete when these things happen, said the Dryden native. You don't want to miss something. A trip to Vega Island was the best moment for her during the trip. An enormous feat is being able to go to where a few people, about 10, have gone to in the past.

Student on board missed five weeks of classes. Their busy schedules on board, and the environmental hazards that came along with their floating classroom, made it difficult to get schoolwork done. Being on a constantly moving ship does not help either. Two emails a day became their only connection back home. Common living spaces not to mention the lack of distractions allowed the students and faculty to grow closer together. It was said by one student that escape was impossible. Closeness is a matter of being in a wild area with an extreme environment.

They brought the mud and rocks they collected back to the United States in coolers, carrying documents to explain the unique cargo to customs officials. For a student it was also necessary to bring 323 digital pictures and five rolls of film. For another student who was part of the expedition last year, she decided on embracing the environment. When you want to capture a moment you should experience it. Grasping the environment is necessary.

by: shelley perry

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