We collected water samples for Dr. Jessie Cable of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. These water samples will be used to create "isoscapes" or isotope landscapes. Dr. Cable said the following about how our samples will be used:
"As water cycles, it goes through phase changes (e.g., liquid to vapor during evaporation), which changes the isotopic composition of the remaining water. We can use this “variation” in the water isotopes to inform us about the processes that are affecting the water in a particular area. For example, water vapor isotopes in precipitation can tell us if the storm originated in a cold or a warm region, or if water vapor in a region is from local evapotranspiration or from external sources. Additionally, isotope maps or “isoscapes” can be created with spatially dispersed data (such as the data that will be collected on this trip), which can be useful for tracing humans or migratory animals, terrorist activities, or even for determining if an animal was poached! The remoteness of the areas the group will access will provide water isotope data that is currently not available."
"As water cycles, it goes through phase changes (e.g., liquid to vapor during evaporation), which changes the isotopic composition of the remaining water. We can use this “variation” in the water isotopes to inform us about the processes that are affecting the water in a particular area. For example, water vapor isotopes in precipitation can tell us if the storm originated in a cold or a warm region, or if water vapor in a region is from local evapotranspiration or from external sources. Additionally, isotope maps or “isoscapes” can be created with spatially dispersed data (such as the data that will be collected on this trip), which can be useful for tracing humans or migratory animals, terrorist activities, or even for determining if an animal was poached! The remoteness of the areas the group will access will provide water isotope data that is currently not available."
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