Summit Station, Greenland. Science on the Ice Sheet

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1 Summit Station, Greenland Science on the Ice Sheet

2 Where is Greenland? Facts About Greenland - Independent country within the Kingdom of Denmark - Population of ~56,000 people - Least populated country in the world - Located between 59 and 84 N - Most of the country is within the Arctic Circle

3 Where is Summit Station? Summit Information Location: N, W Established: 1989 Elevation: 10,530 ft Temperature: 0 C to -67 C Population: 5 (winter) to 45 (summer) Fun Fact During the summer there is sunlight 24 hours per day at Summit. During the winter it is dark 24 hours per day.

4 What does Summit look like? Big House Garage Green House The Big House is the main building and has a lounge and kitchen. During the winter staff sleep in the Green House, but during the summer people sleep in tents. Arctic Tent Science Building

5 How do you get to Summit Station? Planes with Skis It is very difficult to get to Summit Station. It is located in the middle of the Greenland ice sheet hundreds of miles away from any developments or roads. Planes with skis fly to Summit Station and land on a snow runway. Long dark winters During the winter staff stay at Summit for three months at a time with no flights in/out. The objective is to keep science experiments running all winter.

6 Science at Summit Station The beginning Summit Station was established in 1989 as an ice core drilling site. It took four years of drilling to collect 3053 meters of ice all the way to bedrock. At the time it was the longest ice core record in the world. Summit Station today Summit Station is now a year-round science facility. There are lots of different types of science going on, but the research focus is on the study of clean snow and air. Occasionally, there are additional ice cores collected at Summit.

7 Science: Balloon Launches Why do we launch balloons? Large helium filled balloons are launched to carry small scientific instruments into the atmosphere. These instruments measure chemical and meteorological changes in the atmosphere with height. What do we measure?... At Summit we launch two or more balloons per day. We measure ozone, an important type of gas in the atmosphere that protects the earth from UV radiation. We also measure temperature and humidity which helps researchers better understand the structure of the atmosphere. Think about it: does air temperature usually increase or decrease with height off the ground?

8 Science: Snow Sampling What can we learn from a snow sample?... Snow samples can be useful tools for learning about the structure and chemistry within the snow. Samples are collected on the surface and also from pits that are dug vertically into the snow surface. Analysis is done onsite to determine density and snow crystal structure, then the samples are packaged and sent back to the U.S. for chemical analysis. Think about it: how would you determine the density of a snow sample? Fun Fact During the winter, samples have to be collected in the dark using a headlamp.

9 Science: Solar Radiation As the sun rises and sets Radiation from the sun is the driver of chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Solar radiation varies dramatically throughout the year in Arctic regions, and it is important to understand these seasonal variations as well as what type of radiation is reaching the surface of the earth. There are several instruments at Summit that measure different types of radiation from the sun, as well as radiation reflected from the snow.

10 Science: Air Chemistry How do we study air chemistry?... At Summit Station there are several different experiments to measure the small amounts of gases in the atmosphere. These include: ozone, hydrocarbons, halocarbons, and more! Think about it: what are some examples of hydrocarbons in your life? What s in the air?... The air that we breathe is made up of lots of different gases. Air is approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% argon. But there are small amounts of many different gases, some of which are natural and some of which are from humans. It is important to study the chemistry of the air to get a better understanding of the natural environment and human impact.

11 Other Cool Science Projects at Summit Ice Core Drilling Ice cores can be valuable records used to study past climates and learn about the climate change that we are currently experiencing. UAV Unmanned planes are used to study the reflectiveness of the snow surface. Satellites Measurements can be made from satellites to study changes on the surface of the earth. But, it is important to compare those measurements with studies conducted on the ground. At Summit, snow accumulation is measured both on the ground and by satellite.

12 We look forward to talking with you from Summit!