Field Notes

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Other sites visited today: Gilbert Tract | Mayberry | East End
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Bouldin Corn: 2024-05-23 14:25:00 (DOY 144)
Author: Daphne Szutu
Others: Robert

Summary: Checking on tower after yesterday's move, downloaded met, reset clock on zcam ZC1

2024-05-23
Bouldin Corn

Robert and I arrived at 14:25 PST (15:25 PDT) to check on the corn tower. Joe, Arman, and I moved the tower farther into the field yesterday, but there was a PGE power outage so we weren't able to check that everything was working.

It was breezy and warm. The corn is still tiny, although they have multiple leaves already. The power came back on last night around 18:00. Robert worked on filling in some holes/depressions we had left in the ground so that they wouldn't be tripping hazards. He found some more ants to sample for his entomologist friend and fellow ESPM PhD student--odorous house ants this time.

I downloaded the met data since I couldn't get it yesterday. I did not re-download the camera or the USB GHG, but I checked that the camera card had a reasonable number of files and that the LI-7550 statuses were ok and the USB was logging.

I checked the zcams. Zcam #2 (RPI0W-002) seemed fine. Zcam #1 (RPI0W-007) had lost its clock, even though I just changed its RTC battery. I'm 99% sure I set its hardware clock back in the lab. Today, I deleted the past day of photos (no visible foliage in the photos) and definitely set its hardware clock. I'll check it again next time.

The 7500 read: 421ppm CO2, 397mmol/m3 H2O, 27.8C, 101.0kPa, 101SS
The 7700 read: 1.97ppm CH4, 45RSSI – did not clean

We left at 15:00 PST (16:00 PDT). On the way home, we saw a huge plume of smoke from a brush fire near the Antioch BART station parking lot. There was a slowdown on the Antioch Bridge: we thought it was related to the smoke plume, but actually somebody had been pulled over on the narrow bridge, so all the other cars had to slow down a lot to edge around them.

P.S. Just looked up the Antioch Bridge on wikipedia--apparently it's accessible by bicyclists and pedestrians! I don't think I've ever seen a bicyclist or pedestrian on that bridge...

2 photos found

20240522BC_SoilSensors.jpg ( 2024-05-22 13:05:39 ) Full size: 1920x1440
Three sets of soil sensors, 2 zcams, and one of Charlotte's chambers (out of many) on a mostly bare field with tiny corn sprouts.

20240522BC_TowerMoved.jpg ( 2024-05-22 13:20:58 ) Full size: 1440x1920
Moved the scaffolding about 2m to the west, farther into the field and closer to the corn. The SE fence post is a little far from the scaffolding. We moved Charlotte's white enclosure from the scaffolding to a new fence post.