Its official...
I've logged about 45 minutes of actual flight time now. (still nothing, relative to experienced pilots)
This site is about 1h north of Fairbanks. Check it out! Adam (my instructor) did a nice edit.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Out of the freezer...
... and into the smoker.
Summer has arrived, and with it came some excitement this weekend. We could see the smoke from the drive home, and knew it was close. But how close?
I took these shots just down the road from our cabin.
Some nice pyro-cumulus on the top there (white).
And an "anvil" where the cloud formed by the fire can't go up anymore, so it goes side-ways.
The fire crews were incredible. We lost count of how many times these planes made runs to the airport over our heads. They laid a nice fire-line down to the south (in the direction of our and many other cabins) and the fire went north with the wind. I heard the cause was a power line.
The fire was out by the next morning!
Summer has arrived, and with it came some excitement this weekend. We could see the smoke from the drive home, and knew it was close. But how close?
I took these shots just down the road from our cabin.
Some nice pyro-cumulus on the top there (white).
And an "anvil" where the cloud formed by the fire can't go up anymore, so it goes side-ways.
The fire crews were incredible. We lost count of how many times these planes made runs to the airport over our heads. They laid a nice fire-line down to the south (in the direction of our and many other cabins) and the fire went north with the wind. I heard the cause was a power line.
The fire was out by the next morning!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Nenana Ice Classic
Every year there is a lottery where participants guess when the ice on the nearby Tanana River will break up. This year I missed the winning guess by 7 minutes!
My guess was May 4, at 4:17p. It broke at 4:24p. This year's winning share was $15,366!
Check it out at http://www.nenanaakiceclassic.com/
My guess was May 4, at 4:17p. It broke at 4:24p. This year's winning share was $15,366!
Check it out at http://www.nenanaakiceclassic.com/
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
A little refreshement
A good way to cool off after our last skijor race of the season!
http://youtu.be/iCNy1UjgLLo
Happy Spring!
http://youtu.be/iCNy1UjgLLo
Happy Spring!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Ozone
Time for some science.
For the past week or so some scientists from NASA and NOAA have been guests in our lab and on or roof. They are measuring a chemical called bromine oxide (BrO), but as an important part of the project they must also know ozone (O3). Ozone is an important part of our atmosphere and shields us from solar radiation that would otherwise kill all life on the surface of Earth. It is also a very important component in other chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere. Ozone is present in very high levels in the stratosphere, which is typically about 5-8 miles above the surface. This height varies with latitude and with the weather: it is very low in the cold polar regions and much higher in the warm tropics.
Most of the scientists here are using optical methods to determine the amount of ozone. To verify and check these methods with a physical measurement, an "ozonesonde" (oh-zone-sahn-d) is used. It is just like a standard weather balloon but it is outfitted with a special ozone measuring instrument.
The ozonesonde getting ready for launch. It gets hooked up and pumped with a little bit of ozone to be sure that it measures correctly.
The gold packages contain radiosondes which measure temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity. All of these variables change dramatically with height in the atmosphere. Before the sonde is launched battery power must be checked and good radio communication established.
Just before launch.
Up and away! The sondes are taped with a notice that says "NOT DANGEROUS!" and offers a reward if you send it back. The NOAA guy running all this says they get about 50% of them back in Colorado. He isn't expecting to get any of these ones back. They are landing about a hundred miles to the northeast of Fairbanks.
Some nice cirrus clouds today.
This antenna receives the signal from the package on the balloon and sends it to a computer inside.
I am very happy to see some clouds again!! It is much colder at high levels in the atmosphere than it is near the ground. The cold cold temperatures of the winter here inhibit cloud formation. Clouds like these show warmer, moist air coming in and are a sign of spring!
For the past week or so some scientists from NASA and NOAA have been guests in our lab and on or roof. They are measuring a chemical called bromine oxide (BrO), but as an important part of the project they must also know ozone (O3). Ozone is an important part of our atmosphere and shields us from solar radiation that would otherwise kill all life on the surface of Earth. It is also a very important component in other chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere. Ozone is present in very high levels in the stratosphere, which is typically about 5-8 miles above the surface. This height varies with latitude and with the weather: it is very low in the cold polar regions and much higher in the warm tropics.
Most of the scientists here are using optical methods to determine the amount of ozone. To verify and check these methods with a physical measurement, an "ozonesonde" (oh-zone-sahn-d) is used. It is just like a standard weather balloon but it is outfitted with a special ozone measuring instrument.
The ozonesonde getting ready for launch. It gets hooked up and pumped with a little bit of ozone to be sure that it measures correctly.
The gold packages contain radiosondes which measure temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity. All of these variables change dramatically with height in the atmosphere. Before the sonde is launched battery power must be checked and good radio communication established.
Just before launch.
Up and away! The sondes are taped with a notice that says "NOT DANGEROUS!" and offers a reward if you send it back. The NOAA guy running all this says they get about 50% of them back in Colorado. He isn't expecting to get any of these ones back. They are landing about a hundred miles to the northeast of Fairbanks.
Some nice cirrus clouds today.
This antenna receives the signal from the package on the balloon and sends it to a computer inside.
I am very happy to see some clouds again!! It is much colder at high levels in the atmosphere than it is near the ground. The cold cold temperatures of the winter here inhibit cloud formation. Clouds like these show warmer, moist air coming in and are a sign of spring!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Skijor Race!
Last weekend Apollo and I competed in our first skijor race. For those unfamiliar, "skijoring" is a sport where a person on specialized cross-country skis is pulled by a dog (or 2-3 dogs). We've been doing this for exercise a couple times a week and we were ready for our first competitive race.
Paula holding back the beast!
After a count-down from the starter we are off and away.
Race: 1-dog, sprint class. ~4miles. We started out downhill really fast - Apollo was sprinting down the hill with me skiing behind with little tension on the line. After that we did a lap around a large field and then wound our way back up the hill through winding trails. Weather was about 5 below and snow.
Downhill finish.
I was exhausted, but he was ready for another lap.
Result: 20:08, 5th place (out of 18). Apollo won a new squeaky toy! We had a great time, everyone was very nice and there was a great positive dog/human atmosphere.
Paula holding back the beast!
After a count-down from the starter we are off and away.
Race: 1-dog, sprint class. ~4miles. We started out downhill really fast - Apollo was sprinting down the hill with me skiing behind with little tension on the line. After that we did a lap around a large field and then wound our way back up the hill through winding trails. Weather was about 5 below and snow.
Downhill finish.
I was exhausted, but he was ready for another lap.
Result: 20:08, 5th place (out of 18). Apollo won a new squeaky toy! We had a great time, everyone was very nice and there was a great positive dog/human atmosphere.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Aurora
We may be in a period of low solar activity, but every so often the aurora kicks up!
The sun is constantly spewing high energy particles and radiation into space. This activity gets stronger and weaker in a cycle that takes about 11 years. We are currently in a low, but should be headed out of it anytime now. If fact, the low period is a bit longer than normal.
Even in the low periods, the sun can still burp, through a "solar flare" or a "coronal mass ejection". These particles interact with the upper atmosphere (like way high ~100+ km) and make the magical displays we all aurora.
The sun is constantly spewing high energy particles and radiation into space. This activity gets stronger and weaker in a cycle that takes about 11 years. We are currently in a low, but should be headed out of it anytime now. If fact, the low period is a bit longer than normal.
Even in the low periods, the sun can still burp, through a "solar flare" or a "coronal mass ejection". These particles interact with the upper atmosphere (like way high ~100+ km) and make the magical displays we all aurora.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Panamanian New Years
After a wonderful Christmas at home with my parents I had the pleasure of joining Paula and her family friends in Panama.
Everyone was very nice, hospitable, and eager to practice their English! I learned my fair share of Portuguese, too.
The apple crisp was a hit! (Oh yeah, I got a haircut.)
The view from the apartment.
The infamous canal. It was very impressive, indeed. Connecting two oceans, raising tons and tons of mass above sea level with water, and flooding valleys gave the impression humans can do anything they chose.
I have never seen so many enormous ships in one place (waiting for canal time, I suppose).
Some random photos from Bocas del Toro, a land of sun, islands, and water taxis:
Everyone was very nice, hospitable, and eager to practice their English! I learned my fair share of Portuguese, too.
The apple crisp was a hit! (Oh yeah, I got a haircut.)
The view from the apartment.
The infamous canal. It was very impressive, indeed. Connecting two oceans, raising tons and tons of mass above sea level with water, and flooding valleys gave the impression humans can do anything they chose.
I have never seen so many enormous ships in one place (waiting for canal time, I suppose).
Some random photos from Bocas del Toro, a land of sun, islands, and water taxis:
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