The Madison-Hills Paleoecology Project ("MPEP")

Introduction

The MPEP is a privately funded endeavor that will drill and sample the layers of soft sediment that have accumulated in the deepest part of Big Pea Porridge Pond ("BPPP") in Madison, New Hampshire during the past +/- 14,000 years. The purpose of the work is to scientifically analyze, technically describe/catalogue, and radiocarbon/proxy date these progressively deposited materials to establish the ecologic change-sequence history of the Pond's basin since the departure of the last ice sheet. The work described above will begin in late January or early February 2008 and be completed by late Spring or Summer 2008.

Scientific Basis of the MPEP

Lake-bottom sediments represent the most continuously detailed records of post-glacial (Pleistocene to Holocene) climate and environmental change available, and such records provide the best long term context for the dramatic physical and biological/ecological changes that have occurred during what has become to be known as the "Anthropocene" period (time since the beginning of extensive human habitation).

Who's Involved

The scientific staff of MPEP includes the following individuals, all of whom are donating their professional expertise to the project:

P. Thompson Davis, Ph.D., Dept. of Natural & Applied Sciences, Bentley College.
Brian Fowler, Quaternary Scientist, Project Director.
Lee Pollock, Ph.D., Dept. of Biology, Drew University.
Lisa Doner, Ph.D., Center for the Environmental, Plymouth State University



Saturday, March 22, 2008

Blog-meister does it tough!

Spare a thought as your fearless Madison Hills Paleoecology project blog-meister (wearing the appropriate protective gear) battles significant environmental hardship (distraction?) down-under to update the blog with the latest scientific data (and ruminations) just in from the arctic tundra field team on BPPP - fourteen times zones and two seasons away!
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are such a trooper, Bob, working away there in your "office"! You have no idea how that beach shot feels from our endless winter back here....

Of course we all realize that seasons are reversed between here and Austrailia. But looking at the time of your posting and viewing the photo, I had no idea that day-night was also reversed!! Amazing!

Lee

March 24, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Anonymous said...

Your MPEP cap is very becoming. You look very relaxed and warm, although you should be playing in the surf not surfing on your laptop...

Seriously, though, thanks for all your help and on-going assists with the blog. It's a real complement to the project and a real talking point now that folks have discovered it. I just sorry the location of the drill hole was beyond the field of view for your webcam. Hopefully, the photos we sent along make up for it. Talk with you soon, and thanks again!

Brian

March 25, 2008 at 8:17 AM

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