Saying Goodbye to Barrow

Our entire team had a fantastic week in Barrow, resulting in unforgettable memories and four coolers full of Arctic snow that we are incredibly excited analyze in the Pratt Lab back in Ann Arbor! Unfortunately, like all good things, it had to end. But before we took our long journey (3 flights, 1 hotel stay, and nearly 24 hours in total travel time) back to Ann Arbor from Barrow on Saturday we were treated to an amazing send off by the Arctic!

The sky was perfectly clear as the sun went down on our final night, painting the sky and snow in gorgeous shades of blue, yellow, pink, and purple. However, with clear skies and a forecast of a possible aurora borealis (or northern lights) sighting, we were hopeful that the sky would be an even more impressive sight later that night. And we were not disappointed! After bundling up for one last foray into the cold and a quick drive out of the bright lights of town to the dark tundra of the Cake Eater Lab, we saw a stunning display of the northern lights. Despite the cold temperatures we all stayed outside for hours admiring the streaks of green dancing across the night sky, only taking breaks to warm up in the Cake Eater Lab. It truly was the perfect way to end the week and made us even more thankful to have had the opportunity to conduct science at the top of the world.

Sunset over the tundra at the Cake Eater Lab

The view of the Chukchi Sea at dusk from outside our lodging was something I knew I would miss.

Alicia & Nate mesmerized by the northern lights

Jesus (grad student) from Penn State admiring the sky (and that great tower he put up!)

View looking straight up next to the Cakeeater Lab

As our week in the Arctic has come to a close, we would again like to again thank all of the people who helped us and shared this amazing week in Barrow with us, including the amazing staff at UIC-Science, Angela Raso (Purdue/Michigan), Dr. Paul Shepson (Purdue), and Dr. Jose Fuentes, Sham Thanekar, and Jesus Ruiz-Plancarte from Penn State. Also we owe a big thank you to all of our funding sources at the University of Michigan (HHMI Authentic Research Connection, Department of Chemistry, Program in the Environment, International Institute) who made all of this possible.