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Monday, June 30, 2003
BRIEFLY..
So..A brief description and raison d'etre for lake coring..
Coring lakes involves carrying LOTS AND LOTS of REALLY REALLY REALLY HEAVY STUFF over long distances, and then placing it all on a TINY PLATFORM out in the middle of a LAKE, trusting two TINY RUBBER BOATS to keep you afloat. Then all the REALLY REALLY HEAVY EQUIPMENT has to get lowered down the the bottom of the lake (approx. 70 ft). Then, some stuff happens. Then, all the REALLY REALLY HEAVY EQUIPMENT has to come back up again. And you poop out a 1 meter long cylinder of lake-bottom mud into PVC. Then, you do it again, but deeper. And again. And again. FOREVER. And it's also important that it is 90 degrees and that the sun is beating down on you ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY because you're out on a little piece of plywood WHERE THERE IS NO SHADE WHATSOEVER AND THE MOSQUITOES ARE BITING YOUR EYEBALLS AND THE FLIES AND EVEN DRAGONFLIES ARE BITING YOU IN UNMENTIONABLE PLACES. Then, when you have gone to sufficient depth, you move and do it OVER AGAIN. And AGAIN. FOREVER.
Also, there were no motors allowed on these lakes, so we had to row everywhere. FOREVER.
(Did I mention I didn't get paid for this? I did, however, get free room and board, which Melville says is all a guy can expect - except that I think he also said something about making enough to pay for the clothes you wear out as well, and I did pretty much ruin a pretty good pair of trousers. Permanently smeared with invertebrate egg thingies..)
Anyway, later, people look at the mud. And find old pine needles and pollen and stuff. From up to 10,000 years ago. And they say stuff about what plants where where at what time.
So..Michigan was OK. Some of the last virgin forest anywhere in the U.S. where we were. Don't think I'll be anxious to core lakes again anytime soon.
-m
So..A brief description and raison d'etre for lake coring..
Coring lakes involves carrying LOTS AND LOTS of REALLY REALLY REALLY HEAVY STUFF over long distances, and then placing it all on a TINY PLATFORM out in the middle of a LAKE, trusting two TINY RUBBER BOATS to keep you afloat. Then all the REALLY REALLY HEAVY EQUIPMENT has to get lowered down the the bottom of the lake (approx. 70 ft). Then, some stuff happens. Then, all the REALLY REALLY HEAVY EQUIPMENT has to come back up again. And you poop out a 1 meter long cylinder of lake-bottom mud into PVC. Then, you do it again, but deeper. And again. And again. FOREVER. And it's also important that it is 90 degrees and that the sun is beating down on you ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY because you're out on a little piece of plywood WHERE THERE IS NO SHADE WHATSOEVER AND THE MOSQUITOES ARE BITING YOUR EYEBALLS AND THE FLIES AND EVEN DRAGONFLIES ARE BITING YOU IN UNMENTIONABLE PLACES. Then, when you have gone to sufficient depth, you move and do it OVER AGAIN. And AGAIN. FOREVER.
Also, there were no motors allowed on these lakes, so we had to row everywhere. FOREVER.
(Did I mention I didn't get paid for this? I did, however, get free room and board, which Melville says is all a guy can expect - except that I think he also said something about making enough to pay for the clothes you wear out as well, and I did pretty much ruin a pretty good pair of trousers. Permanently smeared with invertebrate egg thingies..)
Anyway, later, people look at the mud. And find old pine needles and pollen and stuff. From up to 10,000 years ago. And they say stuff about what plants where where at what time.
So..Michigan was OK. Some of the last virgin forest anywhere in the U.S. where we were. Don't think I'll be anxious to core lakes again anytime soon.
-m
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