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For group 1, the science group, the descent was more gradual. But for group 2, the big descent would be today. They would summit and descend most of the mountain on this day.
While waiting to leave Millenium camp, we collected data using GLOBE protocols. Following this we had a rousing chorus of African songs, and we were all invited to join in. The group was in great spirits as we began our relatively short and all downhill hike. We also passed a few other hikers as we walked -- this was an encouraging sign. We were still in the moorland biome and ...
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After another cold night on the mountain (it was two degrees Celsius inside the tents) we awoke to a wonderful sight... Mt. Meru in a sea of clouds.
Mt. Meru, Tanzania's second highest mountain, in a sea of clouds as seen from Karanga Camp.
Incredible view so early in the morning and a great way to begin our day. The hike today would be a short three hours, so after a hearty breakfast we headed to Millenium camp. The terrain was very much the same, but we did see obsidian rocks (formed when the lava from a ...
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GIO Director, Tony Murphy, taking water temperature in stream near Baranco camp early in the morning. Temperature was 5C.
Karanga camp, which is 10 m below Baranco camp is home for Monday night. What an adventurous day we had getting there! We began our morning taking soil moisture measurements for the SMAP campaign.
Mark Brettenny, GLOBE Africa Regional Officer, checking on a soil moisture probe before students take measurements.
Then we hiked the 'wall.' As we left camp, it was full with a human train -- lots of hikers, guides and ...
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Greetings from NASA and the SMAP Mission!
The SMAP Soil Moisture Measurement Field Campaign begins in 3 days.
The NASA SMAP satellite mission wants your soil moisture data.
Click HERE for more information.
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Measuring water temperature.
After breakfast we split into the two groups. Mark Brettenny of GLOBE Africa's Regional Office and I, stayed with group 1 to focus more on science. Our next camp site is Baranco camp, 3940m, so a lower elevation than Lava Tower and set in a magnificent glacial valley.
Lava Tower, over 100 m high and formed when the volcano was active.
During the hike we stopped and took a stream measurement. The stream was frozen, and the Omani students were excited to see it. The water flowing underneath ...
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We began the hike to Lava Tower, our next campsite, on Saturday morning. At 4600 m it was a significant rise in altitude. About two hours into our hike, we stopped at a stream to take some GLOBE measurements. Here students collected data and entered it into an iPad with the GLOBE Data Entry App . Once we get back to a Wifi connection, all the data we are collecting will be uploaded into the database for all of us to see.
Animals are difficult to see in this terrain but they do leave clues for you -- those come in all shapes and sizes. ...
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Very early Friday morning, we heard the Colobus monkeys screaming and howling. We awoke to find a Blue Monkey visiting our camp and checking us out. We left Big Tree camp to a rousing African Omani mix of songs. Soon we would be at our first protocol destination, a site within the rainforest. Once we arrived there we divided into groups. We took atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and pedosphere measurements. Once completed we began to transition from rainforest to moorland. This had heather growing tall, as a scrub... very ...
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(Editor's Note: Due to connectivity issues, some of Tony's blogs are being routed through his home office for posting.)
The day finally arrived when we would begin our adventure. After breakfast, we boarded the bus… a very crowded bus and began the three hour drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park. At the entrance we signed in and saw all the porters who would be accompanying us and taking all the gear. In our trekking party we had over 90 porters join us, so our group in total is almost 120. Wow, what a lot of people.
We then left the entrance ...
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(Editor's Note: Due to connectivity issues, some of Tony's blogs are being routed through his home office for posting.)
Wednesday saw another beautiful day in Arusha, and with all the group in the hotel planning began in earnest. In the morning, we had some team building activities, followed by meeting the guides for Big Expeditions, the company dealing with all the logistics for this adventure. And what logistics are involved in this: making sure that we would all be safe is paramount on our minds and the guides, and then carrying all our gear plus feeding us on ...
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Before I arrived in Africa, I took another quick hike in the hills around Boulder to try to prepare myself for the coming adventure. It was a beautiful Saturday and the area looked its best: clear blue skies, a little coolness in the air…..a wonderful day to hike. The environment of course is different than Kilimanjaro in that Colorado is drier and has a different type of vegetation. The exercise and being out is what was important in my preparation.
View from Boulder Trail
I left Denver on Sunday morning and arrived at Kilimanjaro airport at 7:30 pm on ...
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Thank you to those that were able to join the webinars today.
If you were unable to attend, you can check out the recording of the webinar, presentation, and movie HERE !
This will be a great campaign and I look forward to working with all of you.
Remember, if you have any questions, please contact me Brian.A.Campbell@nasa.gov
The campaign officially starts on October 1, 2015 and runs until April 30, 2016.
Happy soil moisture collecting to you all!
Brian
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A former middle school student, Payeng, is now a university student and is planning to work with my students this year!! She is now in the process of being approved both by her professor and our district. She chose to do an experiential learning experience instead of a formal class. We are both very excited to have her return to Roswell Kent Middle School!!!
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INTRODUCING THE GLOBE PROGRAM'S SMAP SOIL MOISTURE DATA COLLECTION FIELD CAMPAIGN AND WEBINAR SERIES
GLOBE Friends,
Greetings from NASA and the SMAP satellite mission!
As you know, The GLOBE Program has a collaboration with the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission. As part of this collaboration, we have developed the SMAP Block Pattern Soil Moisture Protocol, that allows for the collection of volumetric soil moisture measurements, just like the measurements we get from the SMAP satellite. Students from many countries have already begun taking soil moisture measurements using the SMAP protocol.
What you may have not heard is that one of the soil moisture ...
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In about 15 days, I will begin the journey to Africa to join a team of GLOBE students, teachers, and scientists on the Kilimanjaro Learning Xpedition. This is an exciting trek as it takes us up to almost 6,000 metres (over 19,000 ft). Almost 30 years ago, I was an expedition leader on a scientific and educational expedition in the Indian Himalayas, and that was an incredible experience. That group included students doing botanical research in a valley high in the mountains of Kashmir followed by a trek through to Leh, Ladakh. Taking part in a scientific expedition at ...
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In about 15 days, I will begin the journey to Africa to join a team of GLOBE students, teachers, and scientists on the Kilimanjaro Learning Xpedition. This is an exciting trek as it takes us up to almost 6,000 metres (over 19,000 ft). Almost 30 years ago, I was an expedition leader on a scientific and educational expedition in the Indian Himalayas, and that was an incredible experience. That group included students doing botanical research in a valley high in the mountains of Kashmir followed by a trek through to Leh, Ladakh. Taking part in a scientific expedition at ...
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Mission managers for NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory have determined that its radar, one of the satellite's two science instruments, can no longer return data. However, the mission, which was launched in January to map global soil moisture and detect whether soils are frozen or thawed, continues to produce high-quality science measurements supporting SMAP's objectives with its radiometer instrument.
The SMAP mission is designed to help scientists understand the links between Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles and enhance our ability to monitor and ...
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SMAPpers,
The GLOBE/SMAP Soil Moisture Measurement Campaign is almost here! Beginning October 1, 2015 and ending April 30, 2016, we are hoping to get a wide array of GLOBE schools participating.
NASA launched an Earth observing satellite called Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) on January 31, 2015 and its purpose is to measure soil moisture globally with a high level of accuracy. Ground measurements are needed however, in order to validate the satellite measurements. To do this, the SMAP team will compare GLOBE in situ soil moisture with satellite ...
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On August 13-14, 2015, and with generous financial support from University of North Dakota's (UNDs) Summer Programs Office, Dr. Laura Munski and I completed our first 2-day GLOBE training at UND. We trained three fantastic local teachers who all collaborate with the Dakota Science Center, and one GLOBE scientist who is also a PhD candidate in Atmospheric Sciences at UND. The first day was focused on Atmosphere while the second day was focused on Earth as a System and Pedosphere . ...
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GLOBE students measure the current values of many environmental properties, but the Precipitation Protocol measures the total amounts and the Max/Min Atmosphere and Soil Temperature protocols measure the extremes that have occurred during the previous 24 hours. At the beginning of GLOBE, the time of day for these daily measurements was chosen as within one hour of local solar noon. The thought was that the middle of the school day would be an easy time to have students go outside and take data.
Today in GLOBE, the air and soil temperatures can be measured with the digital multi-day ...
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Test.
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