We have now been here at Arctic Station for a little more than a month and we're settled in the house and offices. I, by the way, have the most beautiful view from my office, which I have in the library and laboratory building. Martin decided to have office in our house, but that view is definitely not as beautiful as mine!
February 1, I started my PhD fellowship and used the four months until June 1 on planning the experimental setups and buying equipment. July 1, I received my scientific equipment, which was send by some colleagues at CENPERM after I left for Disko Island. Sending equipment to Greenland is always exciting whether the equipment will arrive on time and even if it will arrive! In 2015, I got a confirmation that my pallet was at the habour in Narsarsuaq, however when I arrived in Narsarsuaq I learned that my equipment had never been there and later they found out that they forgot in a nearby town, Narsaq. This time everything worked out good and fingers crossed that my very last equipment will be shipped from Germany July 10. This equipment is quite crucial for my entire experimental setup in Blæsedalen as I will be measuring in-situ oxygen levels. For now, I spend two days drilling five holes in 160 flasks and two holes in 160 lids. I am very thankfull that audiobooks is invented because otherwise these days would have been too long!!!
Additionally, I went to Blæsedalen to select a fieldsite for my in-situ experiment. I laid out five blocks 6 x 3 m in a (hopefully) not too stony site. I made one trial soilprofile to see if it was possible to dig down to 80 cm and luckely it was. However, I can't be sure that my other 39 soilprofiles will be as easy and without huge stones that are impossible to move. Fingers crossed (again!). So far, it feels really good to be out in the field and get started on my experiment. Later on, I will make a proper introduction to my PhD project about Arctic Subsurface Gas Dynmacis.
To be continued...
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