Tuesday, November 08, 2005
November 7-8, 2005: Themales and Boiling Mud
This update spans November 7-8. Both were visually spectacular days.
Nov. 7
Nov. 7 started with a visit to the "thermales" [hotsprings]. This was for two purposes: 1] so that Lynn and Dana could retrieve biological samples and 2] so that the team could bathe in the warm spring [there are no bathing facilities at the refuge]!
Below is a panoramic image of the thermales and surrounding area.
[click the image to view a larger version]
The region around the thermales area.
Dana taking a sample.
Close up of sampling process.
Lynn making observations at the Thermales sampling site.
We returned for lunch, and then Lynn and Rob went out to collect water and biological samples. I tagged along.
Rob helps Lynn collect UV radiation experiments Laguna Blanca.
Lynn recording information on a sample from Laguna Blanca
Lynn and Rob collect samples from UV chambers that Andy had put out for Lynn the previous week. The samples will show the difference one week of exposure to the solar radiation at the site makes to the samples.
Sample area at Laguna Blanca, a microbiologist's dream!
This area had a huge diversity of textures on the ground, partially caused by the way that water intermixed with minerals and also because of the different microbiological communities present.
Take a look at these panoramic images:
That evening we began packing for our pending move to a refuge near Laguna Colorada. The science team planned to continue their investigations there. As at Laguna Blanca, Verde and the thermales, Lynn had sampled there the previous year, so this year she will be doing both collecting to try to grow some of the organisms from Laguna Colorada (her husband, SETI/NASA Ames microbiologist Rocco Mancinelli already cultured some from last year's samples) as well as a controlled experiment on Nov. 9.
Nov 8
We departed at around 11:00 AM and began the dusty, bouncy ride to our new destination. The expedition team split into three vehicles and our equipment was transported in a larger truck.
On the way to Laguna Colorada, we stopped at Sol de la Mañana to look at boiling mud pots, similar to Fountain Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. Geologists describe this kind of site as a "geothermal field."
We stopped so that the science team [especially, Lynn and Dana] could collect samples. Again, last year Lynn, Andy and Cristian stopped at Sol de la Mañana, and they were able to retrieve some samples, but most of the boiling mud was too far down to reach. This year Lynn and Dana bought a fishing rod to collect samples, but in the end, didn't need it since the water level was very high. Lynn, Andy and Dana used electrical tape to attach string to plastic tubes, and sampled that way. They also took temperature and pH readings from each of the samples. Not only is the mud boiling, but it is very acidic, with a pH of between 2-3, similar to that of lemons. Dana will try to extract DNA from the samples in order to determine if there are any living organisms in the boiling mud.
Here is a panoramic image of the team working in the geothermal field.
[click the image to view a larger version]
Team fans out at the geothermal field.
Dana measuring the temperature of one of the boiling mud pots.
Dana collected reddish dirt from the area for our SETI colleague, Janice Bishop. We hope there is iron in the samples, as that is Janice's major interest.
Dana records data from a sample while Melissa waits to give her another one, and Edmond looks on. Michelle and Nathalie work in the background.
Dana and Nathalie retrieve soil samples.
Later we arrived at our new refuge. Images of this tomorrow!
Quote of the Day:
"I said beer and pizza, not beard in pizza"
Nov. 7
Nov. 7 started with a visit to the "thermales" [hotsprings]. This was for two purposes: 1] so that Lynn and Dana could retrieve biological samples and 2] so that the team could bathe in the warm spring [there are no bathing facilities at the refuge]!
Below is a panoramic image of the thermales and surrounding area.
[click the image to view a larger version]
The region around the thermales area.
Dana taking a sample.
Close up of sampling process.
Lynn making observations at the Thermales sampling site.
We returned for lunch, and then Lynn and Rob went out to collect water and biological samples. I tagged along.
Rob helps Lynn collect UV radiation experiments Laguna Blanca.
Lynn recording information on a sample from Laguna Blanca
Lynn and Rob collect samples from UV chambers that Andy had put out for Lynn the previous week. The samples will show the difference one week of exposure to the solar radiation at the site makes to the samples.
Sample area at Laguna Blanca, a microbiologist's dream!
This area had a huge diversity of textures on the ground, partially caused by the way that water intermixed with minerals and also because of the different microbiological communities present.
Take a look at these panoramic images:
That evening we began packing for our pending move to a refuge near Laguna Colorada. The science team planned to continue their investigations there. As at Laguna Blanca, Verde and the thermales, Lynn had sampled there the previous year, so this year she will be doing both collecting to try to grow some of the organisms from Laguna Colorada (her husband, SETI/NASA Ames microbiologist Rocco Mancinelli already cultured some from last year's samples) as well as a controlled experiment on Nov. 9.
Nov 8
We departed at around 11:00 AM and began the dusty, bouncy ride to our new destination. The expedition team split into three vehicles and our equipment was transported in a larger truck.
On the way to Laguna Colorada, we stopped at Sol de la Mañana to look at boiling mud pots, similar to Fountain Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. Geologists describe this kind of site as a "geothermal field."
We stopped so that the science team [especially, Lynn and Dana] could collect samples. Again, last year Lynn, Andy and Cristian stopped at Sol de la Mañana, and they were able to retrieve some samples, but most of the boiling mud was too far down to reach. This year Lynn and Dana bought a fishing rod to collect samples, but in the end, didn't need it since the water level was very high. Lynn, Andy and Dana used electrical tape to attach string to plastic tubes, and sampled that way. They also took temperature and pH readings from each of the samples. Not only is the mud boiling, but it is very acidic, with a pH of between 2-3, similar to that of lemons. Dana will try to extract DNA from the samples in order to determine if there are any living organisms in the boiling mud.
Here is a panoramic image of the team working in the geothermal field.
[click the image to view a larger version]
Team fans out at the geothermal field.
Dana measuring the temperature of one of the boiling mud pots.
Dana collected reddish dirt from the area for our SETI colleague, Janice Bishop. We hope there is iron in the samples, as that is Janice's major interest.
Dana records data from a sample while Melissa waits to give her another one, and Edmond looks on. Michelle and Nathalie work in the background.
Dana and Nathalie retrieve soil samples.
Later we arrived at our new refuge. Images of this tomorrow!
Quote of the Day:
"I said beer and pizza, not beard in pizza"
