The morning was just like any other as we all woke up and were eating breakfast in the common room of the lodge by 8 AM. The fog was intense, and we all piled into the cube van and the smaller motor vehicle around 8:30, not knowing what the weather would be like for the rest of the day. We were GABE’d out as we made our way to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
We stepped out of the van to a cool -1 °C. The group began the morning by walking over to the sunlight and engaged in our first ever morning calisthenics session, leaving our sore bodies very grateful. Once we were alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic, we hiked about a kilometer up sheer stairs to a spot that overlooked Tasman Lake, where we toured yesterday on boats. At the lookout, Dan described our task of the day: discovering the relative ages of three moraines we would visit over the day. We could do this using by measuring lichen diameter on rocks, because the size of the growing lichen indicates that the larger it is (and the more it has grown), the older the moraine is. We also measured the slope of the moraine, with a steeper slope usually indicating a younger moraine. After discussing the very scientific “ping” test, where you hit a rock with a hammer and judge the sound from 1 to 5, 1 being a thud on an older rock and 5 being a ping on a newer rock, we received our calipers, and with our Brunton compasses—which were used to measure the angle of the slopes—we went to work.
First, we split into groups. Each group collected 50 ping test results on different rocks, as well as used their calipers, which is basically a fancy ruler, to measure the largest crustose lichen on different rocks. In order to be statistically significant, we had to collect 50 of each measurement, as well as 10 slope measurements on the proximal and distal sides of the moraine. In addition to these measurements, we also sampled the sizes of 50 fist-sized rocks, as well as documenting the angularity on a scale from 0-6, with 0 being very angular and 6 being well-rounded, like a baseball or hotdog. This last measurement was used to help determine whether or not the rock was from a glacial moraine or from a slide off the nearby mountains. After each rock measurement, we tossed them down the side of the moraine as a bit of a stress releasing technique.
After a quick lunch, we headed down to the next moraine, which was covered in vegetation, the most notable being point tufts of grass known as “bastard grass” for what you exclaim when you encounter one on your skin. As we gingerly tiptoed around the perilous vegetation, we collected the 50 samples of ping test and lichen, as well as the slope samples. We made our way down the moraine and over to a scree deposit, which was formed by landslides off the mountain. Here we collected the size and angularity information of 50 fist-sized rocks so that we could draw a comparison to the information from the first moraine.
We left the scree and walked along the road to our list moraine, “The Little Hump.” Its name is derived from its relative size; it is very much a little hump. We again collected the slope, lichen, and ping test data to take back for analysis later in the evening.
After a delicious burrito dinner, we got our assignment. We input our data from the day into an excel spreadsheet and used it to analyze the relative ages of the different moraines. We factored our observations as well as our data points regarding ping, lichen diameter, and slope into our analysis making a heavy use of averages. We also looked at the similarities between the till and scree rocks by comparing the ratio between the short and long axes for each rock, as well as the angularity. After some scientific analysis, we wrapped up and went to bed.
With bellies full of burritos and dating rocks in our heads, we bid you bye.
-Liam and Lowry
We stepped out of the van to a cool -1 °C. The group began the morning by walking over to the sunlight and engaged in our first ever morning calisthenics session, leaving our sore bodies very grateful. Once we were alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic, we hiked about a kilometer up sheer stairs to a spot that overlooked Tasman Lake, where we toured yesterday on boats. At the lookout, Dan described our task of the day: discovering the relative ages of three moraines we would visit over the day. We could do this using by measuring lichen diameter on rocks, because the size of the growing lichen indicates that the larger it is (and the more it has grown), the older the moraine is. We also measured the slope of the moraine, with a steeper slope usually indicating a younger moraine. After discussing the very scientific “ping” test, where you hit a rock with a hammer and judge the sound from 1 to 5, 1 being a thud on an older rock and 5 being a ping on a newer rock, we received our calipers, and with our Brunton compasses—which were used to measure the angle of the slopes—we went to work.
First, we split into groups. Each group collected 50 ping test results on different rocks, as well as used their calipers, which is basically a fancy ruler, to measure the largest crustose lichen on different rocks. In order to be statistically significant, we had to collect 50 of each measurement, as well as 10 slope measurements on the proximal and distal sides of the moraine. In addition to these measurements, we also sampled the sizes of 50 fist-sized rocks, as well as documenting the angularity on a scale from 0-6, with 0 being very angular and 6 being well-rounded, like a baseball or hotdog. This last measurement was used to help determine whether or not the rock was from a glacial moraine or from a slide off the nearby mountains. After each rock measurement, we tossed them down the side of the moraine as a bit of a stress releasing technique.
After a quick lunch, we headed down to the next moraine, which was covered in vegetation, the most notable being point tufts of grass known as “bastard grass” for what you exclaim when you encounter one on your skin. As we gingerly tiptoed around the perilous vegetation, we collected the 50 samples of ping test and lichen, as well as the slope samples. We made our way down the moraine and over to a scree deposit, which was formed by landslides off the mountain. Here we collected the size and angularity information of 50 fist-sized rocks so that we could draw a comparison to the information from the first moraine.
We left the scree and walked along the road to our list moraine, “The Little Hump.” Its name is derived from its relative size; it is very much a little hump. We again collected the slope, lichen, and ping test data to take back for analysis later in the evening.
After a delicious burrito dinner, we got our assignment. We input our data from the day into an excel spreadsheet and used it to analyze the relative ages of the different moraines. We factored our observations as well as our data points regarding ping, lichen diameter, and slope into our analysis making a heavy use of averages. We also looked at the similarities between the till and scree rocks by comparing the ratio between the short and long axes for each rock, as well as the angularity. After some scientific analysis, we wrapped up and went to bed.
With bellies full of burritos and dating rocks in our heads, we bid you bye.
-Liam and Lowry
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