Kangerlussuaq to New York

Many enjoyed one last Danish pastry for our 6:00 a.m. breakfast. We’ve grown use to these tasty delicacies … and our pants have grown tighter.

Last night, all of our luggage was packed into a pallet and loaded onto the C-130. Wearing the clothes we’d slept in, we were herded onto the bus, dropped off for a head count, and herded back onto the bus. You may wonder why they made us leave the bus for a head count. Our driver needed to quickly pick up students and take them to school. There is one elementary school here in Kangerlussuaq. High school students attend a boarding school in Sisimiut, about 100 km away. Students speak Greenlandic and Danish in school, learning English toward the end of their elementary school career.

The flight home was somewhat more jovial and relaxed than the flight a week earlier. We were leaving with new friendships and a sense of camaraderie. Snacks were shared and Ashley started a C-130 blog. People offered DVDs and viewing screens to neighbors. With less cargo flying home, we had more room to stretch out. In truth, the six hour flight sped by more quickly than expected.

After a quick check through customs (where Joe washed his rocks), many headed to the Albany airport to continue the trek home. Thunderstorms kept some waiting at the airport. My flight was eventually cancelled, so I flew into Baltimore and drove home from there … finally getting home about 4:00 a.m. — that’s 6:00 a.m. Kangerlussuaq time.

I find myself telling details of the trip to anyone who will listen. I want them all to hear about the town, the mountains, the animals, and the people. Each story has a new leading character … sharing tales of musk oxen, 20-year old miniature Christmas trees and “squishy tundra.” It was a magical week … in a magical setting. I not only learned LOTS about the magnetosphere (like Jon Stewart), but LOTS about a dedicated and creative bunch of scientists. We all warmed to each other in a setting that’s usually chilly.

Many thanks to Mary and Eggert for their hours and hours and hours of planning and attention to details. Many thanks to NSF for helping to fund GSSS2007. Many thanks to ALL for your patience, flexibility and generosity throughout the interviews. It has been an honor and privilege to get to know each one of you.

I’ll let you know when the web site with the interviews is up and running.

Thanks for all of the memories!

We started the day with a 6:00 a.m. run toward the base of Sugar Loaf mountain. The road is covered with rocks and pebbles similar to the rocks we found Sunday at the ice cap. Some are granite; most are dull grey and dusty. Along the side of the road we saw tumbleweed-like shrubs. So this is what Arctic tundra looks like.

We looked carefully at the boulders lining the mountains, wondering if a boulder might really be a musk ox. There is little or no humidity … just crisp, clean air. A few birds called to us as we walk/ran up and down hills.

This is our last day of the symposium and our last day of interviews. We talked about many different areas of science including:
• The life and customs of Greenland
• Adjusting to many hours of darkness and many hours of light
• The differences and similarities between the north and south poles
• Auroras
• The solar cycle
• Patterns in solar storms
• Comets
• Polar regions
• Auroras on other planets
• Mars compared to Earth

But we also talked about past teachers that inspired some to pursue a career in science. We shared stories about seeing an aurora for the first time and watching the sky for hours. We heard about the challenges, hard work, and creativity required to succeed in this profession. Mostly the words “fun” and “travel” popped into each interview. When asked what attributes were needed to be a space scientist, “being curious” was the answer more frequently given than “being good at math.”

Though it will be good to get home and have a Diet Coke (no diet sodas here!!!), I will miss the beauty of Greenland and the generosity of its people.

We travel home tomorrow by C-130. And that’s another story.

I continue to be amazed and amused by the group attending this symposium. Each has a magnificent story to tell and each tells the story with much passion and energy. They LOVE what they do.

Many in the group have traveled extensively and many list travel as one of the parts of their job that they love most. For some, this is their first trip to Greenland. Many have logged time in Antarctica.

They also talk about the thrill of “solving puzzles” and then sharing their ideas with colleagues who have solved other bits of the puzzle. The study of space is a team sport where every player counts.

Today we covered topics that included:
• Magnetic pole reversal and how this might affect life on Earth
• The relationship between Earth’s core and its magnetic field
• Changes in Earth’s upper atmosphere and its affect on us
• The northern lights
• Greenland’s tundra and permafrost
• The solar cycle and changes in the solar cycle
• Earth’s magnetosphere and how it’s affected by the Sun
• Net gains and losses of ice at the ice caps
• Climate changes
• Greenland’s wildlife

I’m sad to think that I have only one more day to talk with individuals in this group. They are a generous and engaging bunch. I appreciate their willingness to help me understand the work that they love and to take time to sit down with me for these interviews. It’s been an honor and privilege to talk with each and every person here.

If you have any questions you’d like me to ask, you have only one day to send them.

Today was a day filled with interviews and the opportunity to chat with some of the most talented space scientists working in the field. I heard stories that were touching and funny. Some stories were inspirational, sharing an awe for the wonders of the world. From all, I learned more about the passion and energy that drives each to look toward the Sun and wonder “why?”

Some of the topics we discussed included:
• Life in Greenland and Antarctica
• Earth’s magnetic field and changes in this field
• How Earth’s magnetic field and ionosphere affect our daily lives
• Space weather
• The age of the ice at the poles
• Changes in auroras and Greenland’s ice cap
• Changes in Antarctica and Greenland
• Why we study polar regions
• Magnetic pole reversals
• Living in extended periods of daylight and darkness

I have two more days to talk “one-on-one” with these amazing people. I hope to hear from more teachers and students so that we can all learn from this experience.

Ice Cap and Kellyville, Greenland

We traveled inland about 25 km to the ice cap today. There will be photos and videos posted to share, but these images cannot do justice to the power and beauty of the glaciers, ice cap, and moraines.

To give you an idea of the size of the ice cap, our driver made this comparison. He told us that you could give EVERYONE in the world an ice cube 80m on each side using the ice contained in this ice cap. And, imagine what changes there would be if that much ice melted. Keep in mind, Antarctica has about 10 times more ice than Greenland.

Later, we traveled to Kellyville, the incoherent radar facility that was moved from Alaska to Greenland. This facility is self-sufficient … it has its own generator … its own power … its own workshop … its own living space. Simplified, this radar facility sends microwaves into the ionosphere. Some of these waves are reflected by electrons and other particles in the ionosphere, causing them to bounce back and be recorded at this site. A variety of instruments are used here … including LIDAR and spectographs. We’ll find out more when we interview John Kelly … yes, that’s where the name Kellyville came from.

The Greenland Space Science Symposium began with a day and a half of presentations designed for the general public. All talks centered around the unique perspective the poles offer to study the power of the Sun’s atmosphere as it interacts with Earth’s atmosphere.

The group is international, and the first three speakers are from Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Their topic of discussion was the importance of studying auroras and how each country approaches this study. Auroras are part of daily life in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

The next few speakers reminisced about the early studies of auroras and the Earth’s magnetosphere. Many talked about the courage and bravery of the “early explorers” of space science.

Some key points they shared:
• The 11-year solar cycle reflects a pattern: an increase in the number of sunspots correlates with a decrease in the number of auroras.
• The Earth’s magnetic fields change during auroras.
• Early studies of the Earth’s ionosphere (the upper atmosphere above 100 km) show that it is ionized mostly by solar UV radiation. This layer of the atmosphere is used for long distance radio communication at high frequencies. Before the satellite era, radio communications beyond the horizon, depended on single or multi-reflections from the ionosphere.
• One of the first ionosphere stations was set up in Greenland. Soon there were three ionosphere stations in Greenland collecting data that was used to improve radio communications.
• A band of magnetometers was placed along the west coast of Greenland.
• Magnetometers and radar measure how the ionosphere and magnetosphere respond to solar winds.
• One challenge everyone faces is to bring data together for both a comprehensive and coherent view of the polar ionosphere, the magnetosphere, and solar winds.

The presentations moved to current patterns and trends in space science research. With the advent of new technology, this is a new era for geomagnetic study. Some key points from these discussions included:
• The magnetic north pole is moving … and quite rapidly.
• Geomagnetic satellites gather important data with extreme accuracy.
• Pairing ground data and satellite data greatly improves our understanding of the Earth’s magnetosphere.
• Solar winds affect Earth’s magnetosphere. These energized particles can also flow into Earth’s ionosphere. The magnetosphere and ionosphere affect each other.
• The auroral oval expands and contracts due to changes in the magnetosphere and ionosphere.

The Sun-Earth relationship was central to all presentations. Solar wind plasma shoots out of the Sun and, pulled by Earth’s geomagnetic field, streams towards Earth with great power. Earth’s magnetosphere protects us from most of this radiation, but the magnetosphere doesn’t block all radiation. Some of the particles flow into the ionosphere. Sun storms can disable satellites and airplanes, interrupt communications, and endanger those who get a good dose of radiation.

The Arctic and Antarctic regions are perfect sites for studying magnetospheric activity. The Arctic, a sea surrounded by land, and the Antarctic, land surrounded by ocean, are parts of the Earth system. This system is complex and scientists study the interconnections among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere.

The summer melting in Greenland has increased an average of 20% over the last 25 years. About 87% of the glaciers in the Antarctic penninsula have retreated in the last 50 years. Ice at both poles is changing.

What is causing this change? And … what else will be changed as a result of this change?

If there’s less sea ice, will there be more water? What will happen if the sea level rises? Will ocean currents vary? How will plants and animals be affected?

Is the Sun changing, too? If the Sun’s atmosphere changes, how will this affect Earth’s atmosphere? Ultimately, how will changes in the Sun affect Earth’s climate?

Working in polar regions and studying the Sun-Earth connection helps answer these questions … and raises more.

I am surrounded by visionaries in the field of space science. Their stories include acts of courage, daring, and fortitude. Many have traveled to and studied Antarctica and Greenland multiple times. One scientist shared stories of his first trip to Antarctica that was for “2 years and a bit.” They scoff at our modern hotel, complete with a phone and color TV. Their first trips to Greenland and Antarctica were much more rustic.

I will have a chance to talk to the man who helped orchestrate the move of an entire radar facility, 200 tons, from Alaska to Greenland. He shared a video that chronicled taking apart and putting together one of the premier radar facilities for space science research. I heard the story of how one of the group traveled over 2 days by dog sled to check on a failing unmanned magnetometer. The fix took less time than the telling of the story. There are the scientists that comb through mounds of data to find slight anomalies. And, as a result of these anomalies, work tirelessly to add more magnetometers to the field between those that line the west coast and east coast of Greenland.

I’m surrounded by innovators in the field of space science. Some look at the tiniest of details while others step back to see the beauty and complexity of Earth’s system as a whole. At lunch and dinner I hear about cutting-edge ideas and original use of new equipment. There seems to be a “passing of the torch” as those that have been in this field for over 30 years tell their stories to graduate students here for their first poster presentations. The pride of past successes is blended with the excitement of where new research is taking the group. There’s a synergy and power to the wonderings and ideas of this remarkable group.

These are the scientists and researchers that I will be able to interview this week.

Once we landed we could see that Kangerlussuaq is a town built around the airport. Everyone in town (all 500 or so) is somehow connected to the airport that was originally built for the US military. We’re also connected to the airport … our hotel’s lobby, cafeteria, and gift shop are used by not only guests of the hotel, but by airport travelers. Greenland, once a colony of Denmark, now has home control.

I see nothing green in Greenland. The town is surrounded by mountains, some snow covered, some covered in rocks and lichens. Water, melted from the ice cap, flows downstream, carrying silt into the fjiord.

Time seems to stand still. It is still light at 11:00 p.m. … dusk-like until about 4:00 a.m. when the sun will pop above the horizon again.

This looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

This was my first day in the Arctic. I’m about 3 hours away from the North Pole.

This exciting event promises to deliver a wealth of information and resources, when coupled with technology tools (like this Weblog) to showcase and support 21st century science education. Whether you are a science teacher, student or interested individual consider jumping into these resources and participating in comments to this weblog.

The IPY 2007-2008 marks the 35-year anniversary of the deployment of the coastal magnetometer chains that have provided an extraordinary collection of results to develop our understanding of the high latitude electrodynamics. The IPY 2007-2008 also marks the 30-year anniversary of the International Magnetospheric Study where Greenland data provided a significant contribution. It is the 25-year anniversary of the move of the incoherent scatter radar from Chatinika, Alaska to Kangerlussuaq, and it is the 20-year anniversary of the planning to place autonomous magnetometers on the Greenland Ice Cap