Sunday, November 06, 2005
November 6, 2005: Science on the Altiplano
Nov. 6 [today] mainly consisted of gathering biological and water samples, and then analyzing them back at the refuge. Today, members of the science team also examined and gathered samples at a stromatolite field near Laguna Blanca.
Morning
During the morning, Lynn and Dana went out to Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde in order to retrieve biological and water samples, and to check their UV experiments that Andy had set out for then last week. When they were at Laguna Blanca, they were visible from the refuge and so I took this photograph:
Dana and Lynn taking samples at Laguna Blanca.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
This shows microbial mats in the runoff from the thermales [hot spring] that Lynn and Dana are studying. To the eye, they look very similar to ones that Lynn and Dana have been studying in Yellowstone National Park for years.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Dana and Mimi collect water samples from Laguna Verde.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Lynn collected samples in Laguna Blanca from a dark green mat. Last year Lynn found some very interesting microbes from a site similar to this one at Laguna Blanca, and she hopes to find more to bring back and study more carefully this upcoming year.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Close up of the dark green mat in the field and the test tube ready to travel.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Edmund looks on as Dana takes UV radiation measurements.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Rob and Dana examine Edmund's UV boxes in Laguna Blanca.
After this successful morning of sample retrieval, everyone returned for lunch. The goal for the afternoon would be to take a look at a Stromatolite field next to Laguna Blanca with Nathalie. After looking at the Stromatolite field, Dana and Lynn would analyze samples that they retrieved that morning from Lagunas Blanca and Verde. That afternoon, I joined Nathalie, Dana, Lynn, Melissa and Macario as we piled into two cars and headed to the Stromatolite rich area.
Afternoon at the Stromatolite Field
Nathalie points out features at the Stromatolite rich area.
Stromatolites.
Everyone fanned out and started to take a look at the sites. Each person started to focus on various features based on their own discipline and background.
Dana [Lynn's research associate who is getting a masters in biology] quickly found a tiny cactus.
Dana spots a small cactus.
Small cactus: closer.
Everyone came over to take a closer look.
Here is the cactus. The metallic object is Nathalie's rock hammer.
Here is the same cactus, at a higher magnification.
Here is a different cactus of the same type, photographed at the same magnification.
Macario, our Bolivian guide, said that climbers use this plant as a medicine to cope with high altitudes. He called it "Flora de Puna."
Here are some more pictures of our investigations in the stromatolite field:
Another bit of life was discovered as well. Can you see it in this image?
How about now?
This lizard is well camouflaged in the stromatolite field.
Late Afternoon: Analyzing Data Gathered that Morning and Data Gathered at the Licancabur Crater Lake
Next, Dana, Lynn, and I headed back to the Refuge where we were joined by Rob. Lynn and Dana needed to filter the water samples that they had gathered that morning. They would filter out organisms because Andy's experiments focus on water chemistry. Organisms will alter that chemistry while the water is being transported back to the U.S. for analysis, and so the science team filters living organisms out of the water as soon as possible.
Lynn and Dana are fortunate that since the organisms are now concentrated on the filter, they can look at a concentrated sample of organisms.
The final reason that filtration is important is because Lynn and Dana need a culturing medium to grow certain organisms back at Ames.
At the refuge, they used the same process used by Andy when he was at the lake in the crater of Licancabur [reported on yesterday (Nov. 5)].
Andy, Ross, and Rob filter water from the lake at the top of Licancabur yesterday.
Back at the refuge, Lynn, Dana, and Rob quickly set up a lab in order to filter their water samples.
Water filtration and biological experimentation area.
[click the image to see a larger version]
Close up of filtration system.
Rob sets up the filtration device.
Filtered water being collected in a clean bottle.
Some of the results brought several years of work to fruition. Lynn and Edmond have hypothesized that the high level of UV radiation up here has influenced the pigmentation of the community (think about what happens to the color of your skin when you are on the beach). It may also influence what actually lives here. So for several years we have had boxes made of Plexiglas, some which block UV radiation (UV opaque) and some that let all of the sunlight through (UV transparent). The image below shows the differences between organisms exposed to UV radiation vs. organisms without exposure to UV radiation at site 1 in Laguna Blanca. Lynn and Dana are in the middle of other experiments measuring the effect of UV radiation, but they won't know the results until they return to NASA Ames and analyze their samples.
Dana shows the results of the experiment placed at the Licancabur lake that shows the differences between specimens with and without UV radiation exposure.
Detail of the results of the experiment placed at the Licancabur lake that shows the differences between specimens with and without UV radiation exposure.
A similar experiment resides near the lake at the top of Licancabur:
[image taken on Nov. 4]
Experiment placed in the crater lake at the top of Licancabur.
Dana and Lynn show the results to Edmond, who put up a series of plastic screens four years ago.
Later in the evening, Dana, Lynn, and Nathalie began to analyze some ice samples that Nathalie and Clay retrieved from the crater lake on Licancabur. Recall the Licancabur climb and sampling process reported on Nov. 5.
Nathalie and Clay retrieve ice samples from the Licancabur crater lake.
Dana hooks up a field microscope to her computer in order to see if there are relatively large organisms in the ice samples returned from the crater lake at Licancabur.
The microscope.
Signs of Life
Close up of life signs found in sample.
Dana retrieves another sample from a sample bag in order to place it under the microscope.
This appears to be an egg-like shape.
It is almost impossible to do these updates because science keeps happening around me! But that is a good problem.
Tomorrow morning we will do some short science activities and then begin packing so that we can move our base of operation to Laguna Colorada. This means, a new "Refuge", new terrain and new discoveries.
Quote of the day:
"Our next Refuge is like Versailles. Just smaller."
Morning
During the morning, Lynn and Dana went out to Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde in order to retrieve biological and water samples, and to check their UV experiments that Andy had set out for then last week. When they were at Laguna Blanca, they were visible from the refuge and so I took this photograph:
Dana and Lynn taking samples at Laguna Blanca.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
This shows microbial mats in the runoff from the thermales [hot spring] that Lynn and Dana are studying. To the eye, they look very similar to ones that Lynn and Dana have been studying in Yellowstone National Park for years.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Dana and Mimi collect water samples from Laguna Verde.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Lynn collected samples in Laguna Blanca from a dark green mat. Last year Lynn found some very interesting microbes from a site similar to this one at Laguna Blanca, and she hopes to find more to bring back and study more carefully this upcoming year.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Close up of the dark green mat in the field and the test tube ready to travel.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Edmund looks on as Dana takes UV radiation measurements.
[photo by Lynn Rothschild]
Rob and Dana examine Edmund's UV boxes in Laguna Blanca.
After this successful morning of sample retrieval, everyone returned for lunch. The goal for the afternoon would be to take a look at a Stromatolite field next to Laguna Blanca with Nathalie. After looking at the Stromatolite field, Dana and Lynn would analyze samples that they retrieved that morning from Lagunas Blanca and Verde. That afternoon, I joined Nathalie, Dana, Lynn, Melissa and Macario as we piled into two cars and headed to the Stromatolite rich area.
Afternoon at the Stromatolite Field
Nathalie points out features at the Stromatolite rich area.
Stromatolites.
Everyone fanned out and started to take a look at the sites. Each person started to focus on various features based on their own discipline and background.
Dana [Lynn's research associate who is getting a masters in biology] quickly found a tiny cactus.
Dana spots a small cactus.
Small cactus: closer.
Everyone came over to take a closer look.
Here is the cactus. The metallic object is Nathalie's rock hammer.
Here is the same cactus, at a higher magnification.
Here is a different cactus of the same type, photographed at the same magnification.
Macario, our Bolivian guide, said that climbers use this plant as a medicine to cope with high altitudes. He called it "Flora de Puna."
Here are some more pictures of our investigations in the stromatolite field:
Another bit of life was discovered as well. Can you see it in this image?
How about now?
This lizard is well camouflaged in the stromatolite field.
Late Afternoon: Analyzing Data Gathered that Morning and Data Gathered at the Licancabur Crater Lake
Next, Dana, Lynn, and I headed back to the Refuge where we were joined by Rob. Lynn and Dana needed to filter the water samples that they had gathered that morning. They would filter out organisms because Andy's experiments focus on water chemistry. Organisms will alter that chemistry while the water is being transported back to the U.S. for analysis, and so the science team filters living organisms out of the water as soon as possible.
Lynn and Dana are fortunate that since the organisms are now concentrated on the filter, they can look at a concentrated sample of organisms.
The final reason that filtration is important is because Lynn and Dana need a culturing medium to grow certain organisms back at Ames.
At the refuge, they used the same process used by Andy when he was at the lake in the crater of Licancabur [reported on yesterday (Nov. 5)].
Andy, Ross, and Rob filter water from the lake at the top of Licancabur yesterday.
Back at the refuge, Lynn, Dana, and Rob quickly set up a lab in order to filter their water samples.
Water filtration and biological experimentation area.
[click the image to see a larger version]
Close up of filtration system.
Rob sets up the filtration device.
Filtered water being collected in a clean bottle.
Some of the results brought several years of work to fruition. Lynn and Edmond have hypothesized that the high level of UV radiation up here has influenced the pigmentation of the community (think about what happens to the color of your skin when you are on the beach). It may also influence what actually lives here. So for several years we have had boxes made of Plexiglas, some which block UV radiation (UV opaque) and some that let all of the sunlight through (UV transparent). The image below shows the differences between organisms exposed to UV radiation vs. organisms without exposure to UV radiation at site 1 in Laguna Blanca. Lynn and Dana are in the middle of other experiments measuring the effect of UV radiation, but they won't know the results until they return to NASA Ames and analyze their samples.
Dana shows the results of the experiment placed at the Licancabur lake that shows the differences between specimens with and without UV radiation exposure.
Detail of the results of the experiment placed at the Licancabur lake that shows the differences between specimens with and without UV radiation exposure.
A similar experiment resides near the lake at the top of Licancabur:
[image taken on Nov. 4]
Experiment placed in the crater lake at the top of Licancabur.
Dana and Lynn show the results to Edmond, who put up a series of plastic screens four years ago.
Later in the evening, Dana, Lynn, and Nathalie began to analyze some ice samples that Nathalie and Clay retrieved from the crater lake on Licancabur. Recall the Licancabur climb and sampling process reported on Nov. 5.
Nathalie and Clay retrieve ice samples from the Licancabur crater lake.
Dana hooks up a field microscope to her computer in order to see if there are relatively large organisms in the ice samples returned from the crater lake at Licancabur.
The microscope.
Signs of Life
Close up of life signs found in sample.
Dana retrieves another sample from a sample bag in order to place it under the microscope.
This appears to be an egg-like shape.
It is almost impossible to do these updates because science keeps happening around me! But that is a good problem.
Tomorrow morning we will do some short science activities and then begin packing so that we can move our base of operation to Laguna Colorada. This means, a new "Refuge", new terrain and new discoveries.
Quote of the day:
"Our next Refuge is like Versailles. Just smaller."
