The JIRP Spirit

By Muriel Will

[NOTE:  Muriel wrote this post at Camp 10 on July 25th (JIRPmas), but helicopter logistics have caused a delay in posting.  Our apologies for the delayed JIRPmas wishes!] 

T’was the day of JIRPmas, and all through the camp every JIRPer was stirring, why even the mouse. The snow pits were all dug by the students with care, while hopes of helicopters danced through our heads.  

Alexei Doncov, and Leah Nelson enjoying the afternoon sun on the Camp 10 deck with our JIRPmas ski tree. Photo by Muriel Will.

Greetings and salutations from Camp 10. Today (July 25th) is an honorary JIRP holiday, “JIRPmas”. We have all been busy on our breaks between lectures and field activities, making gifts to later exchange with our JIRP secret Santas.

Although relaxing days such as this are a great respite after long days of digging and skiing, the true spirit of our team (and the extravagance of the landscape where we find ourselves) is most memorable when down on the glacier. Of the 3 mass balance camping trips going out from Camp 10, I was able to attend the second.  For this trip, eleven students and four staff went up the Northwest Branch of the Taku Glacier with the intention of digging four mass balance pits. The first day (June 22nd) started off with some laughs and regretted goodbyes, as five of our visiting staff (including Alf and Stanley Pinchak, Jason Amundson, Bill Isherwood, and Jay Fleisher) departed our nunatak hideaway to return to their everyday lives.

After a three hour ski to our camp site, we split our strengths between: digging our first pit, setting up tents, and making our kitchen. A 4 inch ice layer approximately a foot down in the snow pack, provided a perfect floor for our kitchen, though a bit of an obstacle for our digging crew . On the second day we split up into two groups, with each of us debating which view we wanted to see most. The day could not be more ideal, with beach-worthy weather, we spent the day in shorts digging and chatting as we dug our pit of nearly 5 meters deep. However, that was before we realized we had dug almost half a meter beyond last year’s ablation layer (the previous summer’s buried surface). After a long day’s work we began our 2 hour ski back toward our temporary home, and at 21:30 we found ourselves in a sunset landscape that can only be described as unbelievable. Skiing over snow turned pink by the setting sun, towards a rainbow stretching clear across the sky, the beauty could only be made more remarkable by the fire in the clouds at our backs. Tired and wet from the rain now misting as we skied, we were greeted after a nearly 12 hour day, by the hoots and howls of the second digging team.  Our evening finished with a dinner of hot lentil stew, which the second team had prepared, but had refrained from eating until our much later return. The final pit of the trip was completed quickly, (July 24th) with all hands on deck, and although sad to leave our snowy getaway, a good dinner and dry feet were a welcome homecoming.


July 23, a fiery sunset that can never be truly captured by a picture, nor described in words. Photo by Muriel Will.

And so from Camp 10, merry JIRPmas to all.  May we all find the strength in our limbs, a fire in our hearts, and may we never take for granted the people and places we encounter along the way.

Dear John . . .

By Lindsay Starr

While being out here on the icefield is truly beautiful and breathtaking, connecting with the outside world is hard. At camp 17 we had very limited cellular reception and no internet. Most of us had even packed away our cell phones so the limited reception at camp 17 did not even matter. What does matter is sheets of paper, colored pens and creatively decorated envelopes.  

A variety of letters and postcards ready to be sent to loved ones.  Photo by Lindsay Starr

With being far away from our loved ones, writing to them is as close as we can get. On any clear day we hope to hear the radio alert us that there is a helicopter on its way up with supplies and mail. We have gone up to ten days alone except for the company of those in camp without a helicopter that carries the mail. When a helicopter arrives it is like a new party guest has arrived and brought the best present – MAIL!

Alexei Doncov, Christiane McCabe, Sarah Cooley, Mary Gianotti, Jamie Bradshaw, Patrick Englehardt, Leah Nelson, and Stephanie Streich.  Photo by Lindsay Starr.

I’ve received cards from my parents along with photos from their 4th of July party. My sister sent me a gold body chain along with stickers. Others have received chocolate bars (melted), newspapers, and drawings. Receiving mail is like getting a puppy while getting accepted to your top college and receiving an A in your hardest class all at once.

Writing letters is so different than writing thank you notes and journal or diary entries. Without the almost instant satisfaction of text messages or email you have to fit everything in this one letter without instant response.

Lindsay Starr writing a letter with the Taku Towers in the background. Photo by Leah Nelson.

So if you are reading this blog and have received a letter feel loved and special. If you have not received a letter do not give up hope as it could be in the mail right now! For those of you who have sent us mail:  Thank you for sending someone in the middle of the Juneau Icefield a letter and making them the happiest person in the United States and Canada!

The Blister

By Justyna Dudek

At Camp 10 there were many different ways to spend free time: enjoy the great views from the deck, read, work on science project proposals, cook and eat food… or you could take a field trip exploring what we usually spent considerable effort avoiding: the inside of a giant crevasse! (Note 1: Dear parents reading this blog, please do not worry; this was a completely controlled undertaking, supervised by our outstanding and experienced safety staff. Note 2: Kids, don’t try this at home.) Finally we got to use the great outdoor skills we learned in the safety course of Camp 17 by rappelling into a crevasse associated with a feature called “The Blister”.
 

The Blister as seen from the side of 'Taku B'.  The Blister is in 'North Basin' just north of Camp 10.  Water accumulates here during each melt season.  Photo by Justyna Dudek

Why would someone want to lower themselves into a giant, water-filled ice crack? For one, it is a great way to see the annual accumulation of snowfall.   Annual layers of accumulation are exposed in the crevasse, without having to dig a giant snow pit. Secondly (and most of all), it is really great fun.

[NOTE:  Click on any of the images below to open a slideshow with all photos and captions.]    

Sweet Tooth

By Sarah Bouckoms

Just because we live on a remote icefield in Alaska is no excuse to not be civilized and have dessert. In fact the peer pressure to come up with the next greatest dessert is a competition no one minds. We started with brownies and escalated  to a super secret ice cream concoction. While it had a different texture the taste was remarkably delicious. Then we started with the pie baking competition. It was a joint effort to make a delicious Pumpkin Pie fit for any Thanksgiving table. There was also a peach pie, but well, not even I took the time to snap a photo before devouring the treat. Have no fear, the sweet tooth of the JIRP students and staff is in no danger of going without.

[NOTE:  Click on any of the images below to open a slideshow with all photos and captions.]   

Back with JIRP

By P. Jay Fleisher, Director Emeritus

JIRP ’68, ’69, ’79, ’86. ’87, ’93, '10, ’11, ’13

It is a pleasure and privilege to be back with JIRP (Juneau Icefield Research Program) after a one-year hiatus.  My initial JIRP experience decades ago was followed when I returned several times in subsequent years as a visiting faculty.  The Program, initiated and directed by Dr. Maynard M. Miller, evolved into a superb training ground for students heading to careers in Glaciology, Glacial Geology, Climate Science, and Arctic Sciences.  It is gratifying to see that the same high level of spirit and enthusiasm continues today in the current staff and students.

 

Dr. P. Jay Fleisher leads a geology field trip near Camp 10.  Photo by Mira Dutschke

Situated on the “high ice” central to the icefield, Camp-10 is currently the hub of research involving field measurements on multiple glaciers related to icefield mass balance and a variety of precision GPS projects that monitor glacier movement and elevation.  The scientific staff is eager to involve an enthusiastic group of 23 students (13 women and 10 men) who rotate in and out of projects, while attending to the logistical tasks of running the field camp.  An interesting variety of independent student projects is currently beginning formulated.  Soon the entire operation will shift to Camp-18 situated at the head of the Gilkey Trench, which in my humble opinion is the most photogenic place in all of Alaska.  The students will make the journey (about 15 miles) on skis, as they did two weeks ago when traversing from C-17 (20 miles) situated on the southern edge of the icefield and perched above Juneau.  Unfortunately, I am scheduled to depart prior to the C-18 move and will have to bid farewell to this dynamic group of students and staff.  But before I go I will offer the JIRP 2013 students a few farewell comments, comments that I hope will inspire them in their future efforts and perhaps inspire you as well.

My advice is to seek a mentor, one who will provide guidance when defining career goals.  For me their were three; my father who taught me, “if its worth doing, its worth doing right”, my wrestling coach who offered, “as you approach an initial goal, set another”, and finally a college professor who said to me years into my teaching career, “don’t tell me what you plan to do, tell me what’ve done”.  

I will advise the students “to follow their bliss, never stop questioning, and to find something to love”. 

Within this isolated icefield community, where the benefits of common values resonate most meaningfully, I hope the JIRPers will find inspiration and motivation in my comments.

So, until my return, hopefully next summer, I will add my name to the wooden rafters that record the annual roster of participants that goes back decades.

Photo Gallery: Flight from Juneau to Camp 10

By Stephanie Streich

[NOTE:  Click on any of the images below to open a slideshow with all photos and captions.]   

A Reconnaissance Mission with GPS Receivers

By Brooke Stamper

With safety training and ski practice behind us at Camp-17, we have begun to “hit it hard” as M. M. Miller would put it. Our daily routines have transitioned from gearing up to be outside and gathering our “glacier legs”, to spending time inside working on our research  projects.  The opportunities for place-based education are endless on the icefield and many students are taking advantage of the resources provided. I recently took advantage of an opportunity to set up GPS satellite receivers with Jason Amundson, Assistant Professor of Geophysics at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Jason and I rode on a snow machine and towed “the coffin”, a storage container with the bulky equipment in it. We traveled seven miles down glacier to a predetermined transect and placed our first of four satellite receivers just below the equilibrium line altitude, where the annual average snow accumulation and ablation are equal. We placed an additional three receivers at equal distances upglacier until we were at the convergence of the Matthes Glacier and Taku Glacier.  The GPS receivers will continuously track the velocity of the glacier over a one-week period to determine what portions of the glacier respond most strongly to meltwater input, and to what degree.  The project is simply exploratory at this stage.  Our hypothesis is that the daily variation in glacier velocity will be higher in the ablation area rather than on the “high ice” in the accumulation area.

The historical and current GPS data collection has been at specific points on the icefield to gather long-term annual data on surface elevation and velocity.  Most notably, Scott McGee and Ben Slavin set up stakes at set locations along a line that runs across the Taku Glacier from JIRP’s Cook Shack to Shoehorn Peak as well as a second set of stakes directly parallel to those stakes but starting from our favorite outhouse, curiously named “Dream Land”. On these stakes are placed black trash bags to allow us to better see the daily flow of Taku Glacier.  Eventually, the stakes will begin to arc and there will be noticeable change in location of the stakes. This will give us a fantastic example of strain on the icefield and an explanation as to why there are more crevasses on the edges of glaciers as compared to the center. Because the margins of the glacier are influenced by friction, the differences in flow rates are greater; therefore, there are more crevasses we must mind when downhill skiing from the Nunatak that Camp-10 sits on.

Although all of the students have begun to work independently on our projects, we are all aware that our efforts, in total, are for the betterment of the knowledge and understanding of the Juneau Icefield. Together as classmates and expedition-mates we are all here for the furthering of science on glacial dynamics and how this specific environment fits into the greater Earth system.

Links

The Crevasse Zone:  GPS Glacier Surveying on the Juneau Icefield, Alaska - Scott McGee's great website devoted to JIRP surveying efforts.


Our Royal Throne Rooms

By Sarah Bouckoms

Without fail, whenever I give a presentation about Antarctica to school kids, there is always some cheeky little boy who raises his hand and asks, “How do you poop?”. Mind you this question never gets formally asked by a more mature audience; however, I know they are all thinking it. So here is the answer to the question of all questions you have been wondering about your loved ones or children:  "How are they going to the bathroom?”.  While the facilities may not be five star, they are more than adequate and very sanitary. They are cleaned thoroughly everyday and handwashing stations are used religiously. The early morning busting bladder wake up call is alleviated with a most glorious view, a far more grander experience than having the luxury of carpet on your walk to the royal throne room. Let my picture diary explain what words can not.

[NOTE:  Click on any of the images below to open a slideshow with all photos and captions.]  

Dr. P. Jay Fleisher: Scientist, Professor, Mentor, JIRPer

Interview by Salvatore G. Candela

Dr. P. Jay Fleisher is a Distinguished Teaching Professor, Emeritus at State University of New York, College at Oneonta, where he taught Glacial Geology and Geomorphology. Jay has been involved with JIRP since 1968 when he participated with 15 other post-docs, and again on multiple occasions as a volunteer faculty member.  Jay served as JIRP's Interim Director from 2010 through 2011, then returned to Camp-10 as teaching faculty member in 2013 after a one year hiatus.

Dr. Fleisher explaining the xenolith inclusions near Camp 10.  Photo by Jamie Bradshaw.

Salvatore G. Candela: What was your educational path to becoming a scientist?

P. Jay Fleisher: As is true for many youths, it is possible to be influenced by a single teacher or mentor, and the influence came for me when my general science teacher in 5th or 6th grade took us to a university where we toured the engineering facilities and got  to see presentations by the faculty. I was so impressed by what these people did that I knew I wanted to be a scientist or engineer. During my first semester in an engineering curriculum I took a mandatory geology class that seemed to deal with topics of special interest. As I found myself learning about the formation of rocks and the Earth, I questioned “How could I possibly not study this?”. As I read the text books and listened to lectures I became so attached to the subject, and felt a passion for it, which lead me to become a geologist.

SC: What is your current field of study and interest?
PJF.: While in undergraduate school I found an introduction to a book on metamorphic rocks that said “the best geologist is the one who has seen the most rocks”. This inspired me to leave NY once finishing my undergraduate degree and head to North Carolina for my Masters to “see more rocks”. From there I headed to New Mexico to see even more rocks, and continue to grow my own knowledge on the topic. While working there, I realized I needed a PhD to do what I really wanted to do, teach at the college level. While in graduate school for my PhD, I decided to study glacial geology.

SC: What would you say was your greatest contribution to the world of science?
PJF: To have mentored and inspired undergraduate students to become scientists.

SC: What are the best and worst places your work has taken you?
PJF: The best place isn’t a place, it’s an environment, and the environment is the glacier wilderness, examples include the Juneau Icefield and Bering Glacier, Alaska.

The worst place….(long pause), was where I experienced being wet and cold, the combination being very physically uncomfortable, such as on the Juneau Icefield, and the Bering Glacier, Alaska, as two examples. Getting through these are also the experiences I take the greatest pride in.

SC: How did you become involved in JIRP?
PJF:  While on the faculty at SUNY-Oneonta, I reacted to a mailed flyer that described the JIRP program and applied and was accepted in 1968. This was during my post-doc research. When I got here, I realized that this was a place I could learn a lot about glaciers and glaciation, but also a place where I could learn at least as much, if not more about myself, thanks to the constant challenges presented in this environment.

SC: How has JIRP inspired your work or research direction?
PJF: While on a traverse across the Juneau Icefield, having traveled for two days in a storm including a bivouac on the glacier, my small field party of five were being transported on the back of a Thiokol (a large, tracked, over-snow vehicle) to a permanent camp site. As I sat there, watching glaciated mountains and glaciers slowly pass by I realized this is a place that deserves my full attention, because it’s an analog for what occurred in my home state of New York 14,000 years ago... I was actually living in an ice age.

SC: As a scientist and former JIRPer, what role do you envision JIRP playing in shaping the coming generations of scientist?
PJF: Hundreds of young men and women were exposed to the Juneau Icefield under the direction of Dr. Maynard Miller, the founder of the program. Looking back, I see from the roster of all those who participated, the names of some of the most outstanding scientists in glaciology and glacial geology today. Knowing that JIRP launched them and myself into our careers, I look towards JIRP to do the same for many more in the future.

SC: What advice would you give to the coming generation of young scientists?
PJF: Follow your bliss, never stop questioning, and never stop challenging yourself.

SC: Thank you very much for coming to the Icefield to teach us this year, and allowing me the opportunity to interview you.

Jay would enjoy hearing from those who have benefited from this blog:  fleishpj@oneonta.edu

 

NASA Alaska Space Grant Program and JIRP

By Dr. Cathy Connor, University Alaska Southeast, Environmental Science Program,

Since 1996, five JIRP students each summer have been the beneficiaries of financial support from the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) Alaska Space Grant Program.

The 2013 NASA Alaska Space Grant awardees are (from left to right) Jamie Bradshaw, Grayson Carlile, Patrick Englehardt, and Jonathan Doty. Not pictured: Sarah Mellies.  Photo by Adam Taylor.

 

The Alaska Space Grant Program (ASGP) is a consortium of public and private Alaska universities and non-profit organizations that sponsors a broad range of programs to enhance teaching, research, and educational outreach within aerospace and earth science, and other NASA related STEM disciplines throughout Alaska. The ASGP was established at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1991 under a Phase II Program Grant from NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.

Through ASG’s Higher Education Program, I have applied for and secured summer funds to support students as they experience the glacier and earth science that occurs through JIRP. As UAS Affiliate Space Grant Director as well as a board member of the Foundation for Glacier and Environmental Research (FGER, the nonprofit organization that supports JIRP), I have been able to support over 70 undergraduate students in their JIRP experience, so critical to training the U.S.’s future climate scientists.  JIRP recipients of this award have been able to fulfill the goal of the ASG’s Higher Education Program to contribute to the development of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA's strategic goals.

On the basis of their academic achievements and financial need JIRP students are selected each summer with priority to Alaskan students. The 2013 awardees are:

Jamie Bradshaw, Grayson Carlile, Jonathan Doty, Patrick Englehart, and Sarah Mellies.

Previous NASA-JIRP awardees are now well into their successful professional careers as glaciologists, chemists, hydrologists, geodynamicists, engineers, and climate researchers. They include Dr. Shad O’Neel 1996 (USGS Glaciologist and FGER Board), Dr. Erin Whitney 1996 (Chemist-National Renewable Energy Lab), Dr. Joan Ramage 1997 (Associate Professor of Remote Sensing, Lehigh University), Hiram Henry 1998 (Alaska Department of Transportation), Matt Beedle 1999 (Doctoral Candidate, University of Northern British Columbia, FGER Board), Eleanor Boyce 2001 (UNAVCO), and Seth Campbell 2007 (Doctoral Candidate, University Maine).