Researchers working on the NGEE Arctic project are
physically on-site between later May and Early November. So, data collection
and equipment maintenance proceeds without too many delays or interruptions.
Once the days get short and the temperatures plummet, data continues to be
collected but it requires considerable automation, especially of the
sophisticated electronics we have deployed at the site. Now is a good time for
Bryan and Keith to upgrade some of our sensors and instruments, and begin to
prepare for the long, dark winter ahead. Today was spent installing a couple of
new electronic control panels that house multiple marine cycle batteries and an
uninterruptable power supply. This set-up will be sufficient to run our
electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) transect, our networks of soil
temperature and moisture sensors, and two cameras. One is positioned along the
ERT transect and the other is installed as part of the PhenoCam, an ecosystem
phenology web camera network run by Andrew Richardson (Harvard) and others. Although
the cameras will not capture useful images for 4 to5 months, they will be up
and running via remote operation during critical periods of transition
including snowmelt and vegetation regrowth. Bryan and Keith worked hard this
trip to get these upgrades in place, so my thanks to these talented and patient
members of the team.
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