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Blog Kytalyk/ Spasskaya Pad 2012: Back in Stockholm
Group photo before flying home from Chokurdakh, Photo: Elin Högström, Technical University Vienna
It was somewhat sad to leave Spasskaya Pad; in particular our well taken care of stomachs were in grieve for leaving the rich Spasskaya Pad table.
However, we were quite content to be traveling owards somewhat cooler temperatures.
Digging holes and banging pipes into the permafrost was often a sweaty task in the taiga this time of the year. We travelled to Chakurda on the 30th of July, now joined by Professor Peter Kuhry and master student Daiga from Stockholm University, as well as Bo Elberling and Daan Blok from Copenhagen University.
After a two hours boat drive along the river we were welcomed at the station by, besides mosquitos, the PhD students Ake Nauta, Bingxy-Li and Angela Gallagher from Vrije University of Amsterdam, whom were all working there with permafrost related in-situ experiments for a six weeks period.
Kytalyk, photo: Elin Högström, Technical University ViennaThe Kytalyk station is located at approximately 70˚N by the Berelekh River in the Kytalyk Chokurdakh nature conservation park. "Kytalyk" is the local word for the white Crane, which, although rarely seen, is an important species to conserve for this park.
The Berelekh River is also known for the great number of mammoth bones that has been found there, which was a great excitement for many of us.
The site is located above the tree line, with the dominating vegetation being moss tundra, tussocks-sedge and dwarf birch. The area holds several alases with pingos larger than 20 metres in height.
In the very proximity of the station a wide ridge of Yedoma is found next to alas depressions of different levels and ages. The team from Stockholm worked with two of their transects across such terraces, as well as in Yedoma exposures.
Kytalyk Station, photo: Elin Högström, Technical University ViennaAfter our three weeks of field work we are now back in Stockholm and can begin with the compilation of data.
Besides valuable data and knowledge about our study sites, we also bring home new bonds of friendship and professional connections which we expect to be useful for future cooperation within the PAGE21 project, perhaps in particular for those of us that are young researchers and were recently involved in this project.
We were most grateful for the logistic support we had in Chokurdakh and the Kytalyk station, notably from Alexei Pestryakov and from Tatyana Gavrilovna, and for the food served there by Lena. I think I speak for everyone when I say her blinis beat most other deep fried dishes.
We were most grateful for the logistic support we had in Chokurdakh and the Kytalyk station, notably from Alexei Pestryakov and from Tatyana Gavrilovna, and for the food served there by Lena. I think I speak for everyone when I say her blinis beat most other deep fried dishes.
Daiga and Niels sorting samples after a days coring, photo: Elin Högström, Technical University ViennaMany thanks also to Daan, Ake, Bingxi-Li and Angela for providing us with useful knowledge and information about the area and the station, as well as for lessons in chopping wood.
Best regards
Elin and the team