From The Field

November 7, 2003

8:17 AM

Robert Morris

Laguna Science

Audio Diary Wed Nov 5th was our first full day of science activity in the field. We began with a survey of last year's UV experiment stations along the northern shore of Laguna Blanca. Edmond had placed four stations in the shallow waters several meters from shore.

The first two stations were missing, probably blown away by the severe winds despite being well-anchored, so we were extremely happy to find the third and fourth stations intact. Our next stop was along the western shore where Andrew had placed both water and soil temperature loggers the previous year. These were found intact, but we were less fortunate with the rest of the equipment from last year. Overall, two out of six UV stations and two out of six environmental dataloggers survived the harsh environment.

During our efforts to locate last year's equipment we made several serendipitous discoveries that are likely to be of substantial scientific interest. Probably the most interesting was a small system of geothermal springs on the north shore of Laguna Verde. These springs are teeming with life including what appear to be colonies of cyanobacteria in the early stages of stromatolite formation. Although it's too early to draw any formal conclusions, this site may represent a rare window back in time to life's beginnings on Earth.

Lorena and Carlos came up from Antofagasta to join us for the day and took water samples as well as temperature readings from the lagunas, including the newly formed Laguna Negra. This small laguna was previously connected to Laguna Verde, but dropping water levels in the past year have isolated it from the larger lake, creating an interesting natural laboratory.

Although we were disappointed at the loss of several pieces of equipment and the associated data, the equipment that was found intact as well as the exciting new developments made today an unqualified success

Continued...

November 6, 2003

3:00 PM

Nathalie Cabrol

Science at the Lagunas

Audio Diary Wow! What a day! It seems that everything we see here is completely unlike anything any of us have seen before. The incredible beauty and strange landscapes makes it hard to believe that scientists haven't made a thorough study of this region in the past.

This place is a naturalist's dream come true and I often find myself thinking of Charles Darwin and his time in the Galapagos. Although we took some samples and measurements at the various sites we visited, this was primarily a reconnaissance day targeting potential sites for exploration in the coming years.

Our first stop was the Desierto de Dahli, so named for the surreal biomorphic rock formations jutting up out of the otherwise tranquil sandy slopes, all against a backdrop of spectacular technicolor volcanos. The geologists had quite a time trying to piece together a few of the mysteries of this remarkable place, while Ruth investigated the sparse plant life.

Our next stop was an impressive hydrothermal system of mud pots and geysers spewing plumes of sulfur gas. We took no measurements or samples here, but we did get some great photos!

Our final stop was the famous Laguna Colorada, named for the blood red hue of its waters. The number of Flamingos gathered here was staggering and if I didn't know better, I might guess that the tips of their feathers had been stained red by the waters. Also, in beautiful contrast to the red water, there were enormous white islands of salt resembling the sheets of ice found at the poles. This was certainty one of the most beautiful and strange sites I've ever witnessed. Andy took some water samples and some temperature and pH measurements, Ruth took a core sample at the shoreline, and we all took some spectacular photos!

Then it was back to the refuge and a refreshing dip in the thermal springs. Ahhhhhhh.

Continued...

November 5, 2003

9:03 AM

Andy Hock

Arrival at the Refuge

Audio Diary This morning we once again climbed aboard our old friend, the big blue bus and headed up to the Alta Plana of Bolivia and our new home in the refuge under Licancabur.

The drive was surprisingly short at one hour considering we climbed roughly 2000 meters along the way. We arrived at the refuge at about 10:30 am and were greeted warmly by our hosts Elmira, Leo, Berta and her son Gustavo, and Snoopy, a friendly little ball of white fur which I'm pretty sure conceals a dog somewhere underneath. The refuge sits on the bank of Laguna Blanco, an enormous but shallow (50 cm at its deepest) body of salt water that is home to large numbers of three out of four of the world's flamingo species. Since I usually associate these birds with warmer weather, I was once again struck with a sense of the surreal as I stood, teeth chattering, watching these magnificent birds stilt-walking through the icy waters in search of plankton.

After unloading our equipment and supplies, the rest of the day was spent organizing and settling in.

Continued...

November 4, 2003

8:47 AM

Nathalie Cabrol

Rest Day in San Pedro

Audio Diary This morning the team met downtown for breakfast at 9:00 am. Christian and Andy were grumbling about being kept awake all night by their snoring roommate (Rob) and were looking a bit tired.

However, as we all agreed, the important thing was that Rob had a good night's sleep. After breakfast, we took care of our daily web site update, retrieved some equipment from the local archeological museum, and planned the rest of the day's activities.

We had scheduled this as a rest day, so everyone was eager to engage in some recreation including seeing some of the local sights in the immediate vicinity of San Pedro. Christian and Rob started out with a short bike ride up to the ruins of Pukara Quitor, an old Indian fortress that was taken and destroyed by the Spanish nearly 500 years ago. Rob had some difficulties with his rental bikes (a loose chain on the first one and a detaching pedal on the other, after returning the first) that extended the ride somewhat. Meanwhile, Nathalie and Edmond were resting up for the evening and Andy was taking care of his all-important stomach-filling it with all sorts of local goodies.

At 4:00 we met at Tourismo Colque for a four hour bus tour of the local sights. Wilson, our tour guide, brought his adorable three year old daughter Gabriella and her aptly named doll Feo (translation: Ugly) along for the ride. Our first stop was the Valle de la Muerte (Death Valley). We walked for about half an hour with gigantic sand dunes on our left and beautiful eroding pyramids of rock, arranged in rows like shark's teeth, on our right. Although, these were strikingly beautiful, the most memorable sight was definitely the guy dressed as Spider Man perched on a rock outcrop and performing for the confused tourists. To our credit, we were able to snap a photo of "L'Hombre Arana", which, if you read the cartoons, is apparently very difficult to do. Next stop was the Valle de la Luna (the valley of the moon), which is an alien looking landscape of rolling hills and twisted rock pillars all covered by a crust of salt (halite) resembling a light dusting of snow when viewed from a distance. At our final stop, just before sunset, we walked across the crest of an enormous dune to a cliff band from which we had a wonderful view of the sunset and especially of Licancabur which glowed red, as any proper volcano should, in the setting sun.

We arrived back in San Pedro around 8:00 and had a nice lean dinner featuring avocado, fries, and steak topped with fried eggs: a full ending to a full day!

Continued...

November 3, 2003

9:31 AM

Brian Grigsby

Audio Diary Today it's off to San Pedro and our first glimpse of Licancabur. The expedition is picking up steam and we're all pretty excited. Tourismo Colque, our outfitter based in San Pedro, sent a bus down to Antofagasta this morning to retrieve us and our mountain of equipment. It was interesting to note that the equipment occupied about twice as many seats as we did.

Around 11:00 we said goodbye to our friends in Antofagasta and headed up through the coastal mountains to the Atacama desert, which, I'm told, is the driest place on Earth. The others had made the journey last year and had described it to me (Rob) in detail, but nothing could have prepared me for the absolute desolation of this huge expanse of land. For over two hundred miles of open desert we saw no animals, no trees, no plants, not even a hint of fungal growth. The only life we encountered was in the man-made oases of nitrate mining operations and fueling stations - oh, and a lone ice cream vendor standing by the road in the middle of nowhere with no car and no shelter in sight.

About an hour into the trip we made a stop at an abondoned mining town called Chucabuco, an honest to God ghoast town that once boasted over five thousand inhabitants, a theater, a church, night clubs, and a basketball team in 1930. Again, I was struck by the desolation of the place and the absolute dependence of people on cooperation and ingenuity for survival in this harsh environment.

Shortly after leaving Chucabuco, we cought our first glimpse of the expedition's final destination. At first it was just a faint dark pyramid on the horizon, obscured by dust in the air, but as we continued on I would look up from my book every so often to find that the mountain had grown larger, more crisply defined, and more real in my mind.

As we neared San Pedro, we passed through the oasis town of Calama, through which Chile's largets river runs. It's little more than a trickle at that point, but in the middle of all that nothingness it is a powerful force indeed, providing enough water for trees to grow and a sizable town to thrive.

The ride from Calamas to San Pedro was short, but incuded some of the most beautiful desert scenery I've ever witnessed. The so-called "Valley of the Moon" is an awe inspiring sight. Wind carved pillars and spikes of rock surrounded by rippling sand give this place a very other worldly appearance. Even those of us who had been here before stood frozen in wonder, probably imagining the landscapes awaiting human beings on Mars and other planets. It was a wonderful moment for reflecting on the purpose of our expedition.

Finally we arrived in San Pedro with Licancabur looming overhead looking very large indeed. The town of San Pedro is quite an interesting place, partly because of the natural beauty all around, and partly because of its anachronistic feel. The town itself is entirely comprised of traditional adobe buildings, between which narrow dirt roads provide access to businesses and homes. However, if one takes a peek inside any of these buildings, one is likely to find and internet cafe, a modern retailer, or a chic restaurant with the latest electronic music filling the space inside. You almost feel compelled to step back outside to make sure the adobe buildings are still there. Of course, all this is the result of the thriving tourist industry in San Pedro, to which we are contributing. So, like good tourists, we stopped at our local outfitter (Tourismo Colque) and made some last minute arrangements before wolfing down an excellent meal at one of the more trendy restaurants in town and turning in for the night. A truly great day.

P.S. My appologies to Cristian and Andy for my buzz saw impression all night long.

Continued...