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



Monday, March 3, 2008

Social Posting #4

In case you have forgotten the activities that were previously scheduled for the GPR survey that will be rescheduled for this coming Saturday, beginning at 9:30 and until 11:30 refreshments-Leavitt's donut holes, coffee, tea, hot chocolate- will be served at the Pollock's house on Allard Hill Rd. Also, there will be updated info on how the coring is going and what they have been able to "see" of the samples taken, how many feet of core has been removed, how they prepare it for storing and how it will be stored, among other exciting developments. We will have Madison Hills Paleoecology logo patches on fleece hats and baseball caps for sale to benefit the project. We can also arrange with New England Embroidery to get these patches sewn onto your own hats, jackets, shirts, or whatever. Be on the scene with your friends and neighbors as the drilling news breaks. Hope to see you there. Call Betsy @ 447-5077 or Sylvia @ 447-2333 for last minute questions, or post comments to this blog.

1 comment:

Roberta & Kathy said...

Betsy
Thanks for the reminder, we will be at Sylvia & Lee's Saturday morning.
Look forward to hearing about the progress so far.