-
Kennicott Glacier, Alaska: Ice Thickness Measurements using Ground Penetrating Radar (and Inexperienced Skiiers)
Sarah Albert
What happens when you send a professor, a mentor, and seven inexperienced undergraduates into the field? Dr. Erin Pettit and UAF graduate student Christina Carr led myself and six other undergraduates onto Kennicott Glacier in hopes of teaching us about glacier dynamics and glaciology field techniques. We spent seven days on the glacier. During this time we learned various cold-climate survival techniques and successfully collected ground penetrating radar (GPR) measurements to attain an idea of ice thickness. Kennicott Glacier is located in the Wrangell Mountain Range in southcentral Alaska. It stretches 43 km from the top of Mt. Blackburn to its terminus in McCarthy, AK. Previous studies have used GPS velocities to estimate ice thickness. Estimated thicknesses range from 550m to 1080m using one model, and 400m to 820m using a second model . We used GPR to measure ice thickness and compared our thickness measurements to previous estimates. Our data show the ice thickness ranges from 300m to 600m. This is more similar to the second model’s estimates, but around a 270m - 510m difference is present between the data.
-
Sequencing of rabies binding region on nicotinic acteylcholine receptor alpha subunits in four host species
Karen Barnard
• Rabies virus is known to bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAchR) • The virus is known to bind to alpha 1 subunits nAchR • The virus binding region has been characterized in alpha 1 subunits of these receptors • Little research has been done on the other alpha subunits • Understanding binding region sequences can help understand virus adaptation to host species • Using primers based on dog sequences, the proposed binding region of alpha subunits were amplified and sequenced • Current Results: • Red fox and dog have nearly identical alpha 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 sequences for the proposed binding region • Arctic fox has nearly identical sequences to dog and red fox in alpha 1, 2, and 6 • Raccoon’s alpha 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 subunits are similar enough to allow for annealing of the dog-based primers in PCR • No clear PCR products were found for skunk DNA • Future goals: • Sequencing five individuals per species • Adding mongoose, bat, and opossum
-
Topographic Development History of the Alaska Range
Kailyn Davis
he overall goal of this project is to use variations in sediment source through time as a proxy for deciphering the uplift history of the Alaska Range (Fig. 1). In particular, we plan to track variations in sediment provenance through time for the Oligocene to present Tanana Basin. The main possible sediment source regions are north of the Alaska Range, south of the Alaska Range, and from the Alaska Range itself (Fig. 2). Furthermore, we will use the sediment source interpretation to test the hypothesis that the Nenana River changed direction during the Miocene (23 Ma to 5.3 Ma).
-
Outreach Education: Making Neuroscience Readily Available for Rural Students and Communities of Alaska
Ariel Ellison
WHAT is neuroscience? Neuroscience is the scientific study of the structure or function of the nervous system and brain. To get a grasp on the vast study of neuroscience, first think of the human body and how complex it is. Think of the skeletal system and the muscular, nervous, digestive and respiratory systems that make up the human body and keep it running in tip top shape. Now think of the brain, a singular organ of soft nervous tissue that one-handedly controls all of those other systems, including both mental and physical actions. Sounds a bit daunting doesn’t it?
Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.
