Field Notes

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Sherman Island: 2013-04-05 09:30:00 (DOY 95)
Author: Joe Verfaillie
Others: Sebastien, Stephen, Dave

Summary: Setup of new Ameriflux towers, removed scroll pump, reset new SoilT set, adjusted and tested tipping bucket, mercury trailer to leave May 15th

Sherman
2012-03-05

I arrived about 9:30 with Sebastien, Stephen, and Dave Billesbach. It was mild with scattered clouds and a good breeze from west. The field is wet with standing water mid field and the area under the bridge is wet and muddy again. The ditch along the road is near normal. Some guys, maybe from Ducks Unlimited, were out on ATVs looking at things possibly making plans for converting the area to wetlands next year. The pepper weed outside the cow fence has doubled in height.

Sebastien, Stephen, and Dave are here to set up two brand new inter-comparison towers for the Ameriflux project now based at LBNL. Chad from OSU will join them here next Monday with one of the older Ameriflux inter-comparison towers. The tripods for the new towers are kind of weak so they have guywires that extend quite a ways out making it hard to get close to anything. They set one tower up near the middle of the west fence and along the south fence between the gate and our box. For the Ameriflux tower and because it needed to be done, I put a new weather resistant outlet on the outside of our box where an end of an extension cord used to hang.

Andy from USGS was there with the EPA trailer. He said that they would be pulling out the EPA trailer on May 15th.

The LGR read 9:40am at 10:32PDT
9:40am, 22.66C, 142.51Torr, 16.800usec, 10Hz, 1.860ppm

In low flow the LGR pressure was only 76.5Torr. While the LGR was in low flow mode I removed the scroll pump from the back of the box. It looked like there were some spider webs in the outlet of the scroll pump. We probably should have it serviced before we try running it.

I tested the tipping bucket again. I turner both screws in the bottom 1-1/2 turns clockwise before the test. In 30min 473ml (16oz) of water flowed through resulting in 95 tips. The screws might take another half turn. The bucket is an English unit version.

I checked the soil temperature profiles that were disturbed two weeks ago. Both had soft soil around them. I packed down the soil around set one. I removed the new set 3 string and it came out of the ground very easily. I pounded a pilot rod in and reinstalled set 3 in a new location. I had to use a hammer to get it in the last few cm so it might have tighter contact with the soil.

I cleaned the window on the autocam.

3 photos found

20130405SI_AmerifluxBox.jpg ( 2013-04-05 11:31:07 ) Full size: 1920x1440
Inside Ameriflux inter-comparison data box