27.12.17 Start of my measurements
Just in time for christmas the weather decided to become good, and the christmas “holidays” turned out to be my hardest working days so far.
Before I tell you about serious science I would like to start with some practical things. I have to do measurements in a cold (below freezing temperature) and shady (no direct sunshine allowed) place. So, the construction team built a so-called “science trench” for me. It can be explained best with photos:
The trench is dug out of the snow with a snow blower (rotary snow plough).
Then a wooden roof is built, which will be covered by snow.
After the roof was finished, the first half of the trench was filled up with snow again, using a wooden plate as shield. Then a staircase was dug, which I can use to get out of the trench. It is covered by a wooden plate, too, and has to be covered by snow before the next blizzard comes. I was not allowed to help, but was standing there all the time with longing eyes: during our wintering we had done exactly the same thing (only the digging was done by hand) to build a ramp for the skidoos, and it had been so much fun to work with chain saw and shovel and build the whole thing ourselves, figuring out the best way to do it etc. Anyway, I got a very nice science trench and was busy for two days with sorting out things and making refinements of the interior. Last night I closed the entrance with snow and when the storm has ended we will see if the trench is really tight. (To be on the safe side, I put the instruments in a metal box, just in case there will be snow blowing into the trench.)
Stairway to heaven…
Testing the instrument