Education and Outreach  
| SCHOOLS | SCIENCE FAIR | TEACHERS IN FAIRBANKS | OTHER ACTIVITIES | 
  | Ron Reihl | Marge Porter | Shannon Graham | Carol Scott | 
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Teachers involved with ALISON at PFRR and Aurora Pond

Shannon Graham

Shannon Graham teaches middle and high school science at the Washington School for the Deaf, Vancouver, WA. Shannon participated in the Poker Flat study under the auspices of Teachers Experiencing the Arctic and Antarctic (TEA). She spent two weeks in Fairbanks in January 2002 to meet Martin and learn about the lake ice research program, the methods we use, and generally what she was letting herself in for when she returned in March and April for her research experience. Shannon’s final day in Fairbanks in January, the coldest day of winter 2001-02, was spent making measurements at Poker Flat.

Shannon Graham wrapped up against the bitter cold at Poker Flat on 26 January 2002. The digital display in Shannon’s hands reads 41.7°C. The minimum temperature that day was 43.2°C.

In March and April 2002, Shannon visited Poker Flat Research Range 3-4 times per week to measure snow depth, temperatures and density, and ice thickness at four ponds. The fourth pond was at 34 Mile Steese Highway, where we had put in an observatory on 21 January (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) for Shannon and her students.

Shannon was responsible for the 34 Mile Pond data entry and analysis, and she shared the results and her research experience with her students via her daily journal at the TEA Web site and by video-conference.

34 Mile Pond, 2001-2002

34 Mile Pond is 2.63 m to 4.84 m deep and almost 5 km from MST Pond, our main observatory at Poker Flat. We measured the ice thickness often during the early stages of ice growth in autumn 2001 and then stopped visiting the pond until 21 January 2002, when we set up the observatory for Shannon and her students. Thereafter, we made weekly visits until Shannon returned in March when we visited the pond 3-4 times per week. The pond was also called Jalpertia, a name composed of the initials of Shannon’s students’ names.

These figures show snow density and depth, and ice thickness from October 2001 to May 2002 (top) and snow surface temperature and conductive heat flow from January to May 2002 (bottom) at 34 Mile Pond. The pond froze over completely the night of 9-10 October 2001 and remained ice-covered until 21 May 2002. MST Pond froze over completely the night of 12-13 October 2001 and remained ice-covered until 19 May 2002. The maximum ice thickness at 34 Mile Pond, 0.84 m, was measured on 27 April 2002. The ice thickness that day at MST Pond was 0.83 m.

 

 

 

 Snow density and depth, and ice thickness from 34 Mile Pond, October 2001 to May 2002.
Snow density and depth, and ice thickness from 34 Mile Pond, October 2001 to May 2002.

Snow surface temperature and conductive heat flow at 34 Mile Pond, January to May 2002.

Snow surface temperature and conductive heat flow at 34 Mile Pond, January to May 2002.

The conductive heat flow at 34 Mile Pond fluctuated from day to day primarily due to snow surface temperature variations. Superimposed on the fluctuations is a trend to lower heat flow values as the ice thickness and air temperature increased during the course of the study. Note the rapid increase in snow density and decrease in snow depth as air temperatures increased and the snow cover warmed up beginning in mid-April.

On a sunny day in late March 2002, Shannon and Martin celebrate their TEA partnership and the ice and snow study at 34 Mile Pond. It was an Australian Merlot and the air temperature was about 10°C.
On a sunny day in late March 2002, Shannon and Martin celebrate
their TEA partnership and the ice and snow study at 34 Mile Pond.
(The air temperature was about 10°C.)

Learn about Shannon's visit to Aurora Pond in April 2002.