[Week 9]: Collection Day!
It finally happened!
Today Dr. Hamdan and I collected our soil samples. We traveled out to the site off of the 87 but it was not without its hiccups. Like a dingus, I didn't double check my email the night before (or even this morning). Unlike a normal, sane person I drove straight out to Tonto National Forest without a second thought. I later realized my mistake after waiting about 20 minutes, when it finally occurred to me to check with Dr. Hamdan. While I had almost no cellphone reception, I could somehow check my email....To which there were three emails....
After this hiccup, we started collecting samples around 10 am. We decided upon a 50 feet stretch spanning the width of the range. From there we collected one sample every 10 by 10 feet. We first gently removed the top layer of rock and debris to collect a couple ounces of superficial soil. We were lucky enough to obtain a GPS (costing a couple thousand dollars).
For every spot we collected from, I would record its coordinates, Vertical and Horizontal data. According to the GPS I could see that there were approximately 15 satellites above us. These points that were collected will be utilized as a layer in ArcGIS which we will finish next week. Furthermore, we collected approximately 50 elevation points in order to create an accurate layer to help explain why certain samples may be more contaminated than others.
We collected the soil with stainless steel spoons and placed them into baggies. There were a total 39 samples we took, as we adjusted as we went. Thankfully Dr. Hamdan was very patient with me throughout this whole experience.
Today Dr. Hamdan and I collected our soil samples. We traveled out to the site off of the 87 but it was not without its hiccups. Like a dingus, I didn't double check my email the night before (or even this morning). Unlike a normal, sane person I drove straight out to Tonto National Forest without a second thought. I later realized my mistake after waiting about 20 minutes, when it finally occurred to me to check with Dr. Hamdan. While I had almost no cellphone reception, I could somehow check my email....To which there were three emails....
After this hiccup, we started collecting samples around 10 am. We decided upon a 50 feet stretch spanning the width of the range. From there we collected one sample every 10 by 10 feet. We first gently removed the top layer of rock and debris to collect a couple ounces of superficial soil. We were lucky enough to obtain a GPS (costing a couple thousand dollars).
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| The GPS is on the left with our sample plans and baggies |
For every spot we collected from, I would record its coordinates, Vertical and Horizontal data. According to the GPS I could see that there were approximately 15 satellites above us. These points that were collected will be utilized as a layer in ArcGIS which we will finish next week. Furthermore, we collected approximately 50 elevation points in order to create an accurate layer to help explain why certain samples may be more contaminated than others.
We collected the soil with stainless steel spoons and placed them into baggies. There were a total 39 samples we took, as we adjusted as we went. Thankfully Dr. Hamdan was very patient with me throughout this whole experience.
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| Me collecting samples like I'm a scientist or something |
There was tons of litter and debris at the site. It was a bit disheartening to see. I enjoy shooting, but I got annoyed seeing so many beer and dip cans, and general trash. As someone who enjoys the outdoors and all it can offer, I do believe in picking up after myself and making sure our beautiful Arizona national parks are healthy and thriving.
But regardless, this was a good day. The samples will be analyzed via ICP- AES. This is a complex technique that involves prepping the samples in a vacuum microwave then nebulizing the sample with Argon. This aerosol sample is pushed through concentric quartz tubes that have an oscillating magnetic current which, like basic spectroscopy, allows electrons to become exciting. Any photons that are produced have their wavelength recorded to help identify the elemental make-up of the sample. I'm not sure how long this process will take but I'm excited to see where this goes. Dr. Hamdan thinks there is a good chance that her research will be published in a couple months and it will be exciting to potentially be listed as a contributor.
Thanks for stopping by!
RJ
Talk about getting out in the Field! That's awesome! I agree with you about the need to maintain clean lands. You are working really hard on this project, and it will be really amazing for you to be listed as a contributor to the project. :)
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