Ilisagvik College

Ice Science Workshop Summary

During the week of May 30^th to June 4^th an Ice Science Workshop was held in Barrow AK, sponsored by Ilisagvik College. The workshop was supported by an NSF grant that focuses on introducing Alaska Native students to careers in science and science related fields. The class consisted of 7 students of junior/senior high school age with 5 students from Barrow, 1 student from Point Lay, and 1 student from Atqasuk. The instructor for the workshop was Tim Buckley, a Barrow High School General Science and Chemistry teacher with several years of ice related experience and numerous collaborative efforts with research scientists studying sea and lake ice in the Arctic.

Students were very busy during the entire week with activities and investigations that focused on furthering their knowledge and understanding of the ice that surrounds us for most of the year. During the 6-day workshop students were exposed to many different aspects of sea ice research and using the tools through which researchers collect and analyze data. Some of the weeks activities included:

• Drilling and collecting ice cores from the Chukchi Sea ice.
• Setting up an ice surface albedo investigation on Elson Lagoon.
• Putting together a lab based investigation into the effect of salinity on algae growth.
• Classroom lectures on global thermohaline circulation, sea ice crystal patterns, brine channel growth, and the role of ice algae in the arctic marine food web.
• Calibration and use of a fluorometer and salinity meter.
• Demonstrations on the effects of salinity and temperature on the density of water.
• Cutting thin sections from sea and lake ice cores and observing various ice crystal patterns using crossed polarizing filters.
• Snow machine trip down the coast to view ice wedges in the bluffs along the Chukchi Sea coast.
• Presentations of results by the students at the UIC/BASC Schoolyard Science Talk on Saturday, 4 June.

Students completing the course earned one 100 level college science credit from Ilisagvik College and a $200.00 stipend provided through the NSF grant. Students enrolled in the course were: Alfred Stalker from Pt. Lay, Harriet Nungasuk from Atqasuk, and Melinda Nayakik, Jeremiah Lambrecht, Megan Bowen, Kevin Ahl, and Tiffany Johnson, all from Barrow.

The Barrow Arctic Science Consortium, the North Slope Borough School District, and the North Slope Borough Dept. of Wildlife Management supported the field activities. Dr. Christopher Krembs from the University of Washington and Dr. Martin Jeffries from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, also provided lessons, ideas, and equipment.

Kevin, Jeremiah, and Harriet gathering data on Elson Lagoon

Megan Bowen gathering data from the salinity/algal investigation using a fluorometer.

Jeremiah Lambrecht cutting thin sections from a sea ice core in the cold room.

Tiffany Johnson entering fluorometer data into a spreadsheet in order to determine the amount of chlorophyll in a sample.

Ice |Workshop students in one of the science rooms at Barrow High School.

Kevin, Megan, and Jeremiah flooding a test plot on Elson Lagoon

Everybody enjoying a successful day in the field!

Melinda, Alfred, Megan, and Jeremiah preparing materials for the salinity investigation.

Harriet and Jeremiah putting the ice core barrel to work on Freshwater Lake.

Ice crystals and brine channels viewed end on through a horizontal cross section using crossed polarizing filters on a light table.