Andrew Parsekian's Fieldwork Photo-blog

Pre-season maintenance at the recharge pond

2012-01-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the rainy winter season, Nick Oldum and I visited the ground water recharge research pond near Monterey, CA during mid-December. Learn more about this ongoing research project here.

It was beautiful weather for setting up an electrical resistivity line!

Most of our efforts were focused on replacing the electrodes in the same position as last year using survey tools.

Biogeophysics Research in Caribou Bog, Maine

2011-08-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

These are some photos from field work in Caribou Bog (Orono, Maine, USA) where we are working on an NSF-funded project led by Dr. Lee Slater, Dr. Karina Schafer and Dr. Xavier Comas to investigate the role of peatlands in the global carbon cycle. This project combines geophysical measurements of the organic soil with gas flux measurements of methane to the atmosphere.

Here, new PhD student Zhongjie "Jay" Yu checks up on the automated gas sampling system.

Two undergraduate researchers Wagner and Paul make ground-penetrating radar measurements inside a tent constructed to allow instrument operation even in pouring rain.

A view of one of the pools in Caribou Bog with a gas flux chamber in the center of the shot.

Here Zhongjie and Neil Terry (also a new PhD student) make borehole ground-penetrating radar measurements.

High school students introduced to environmental geophysics

2011-07-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

This month, I've been working with high school students in a summer geoscience institute here at Rutgers University. The course covers a variety of topics from rocks and minerals to pollution to energy and jobs. On several days during the course, we had the opportunity to use environmental geophysics instruments to expose the students to this exciting geoscience subdiscipline.

Seismic data acquisition is always a big hit! Students enjoy pounding the ground with a hammer acting as a seismic source for our SmartSeis instrument.

Here we investigate acoustic wave propagation and explore seismic refraction and reflection concepts. Students have the opportunity to examine simple seismic records and learn about how material velocity is important to interpretation.

On a field trip to Harriman State Park, NY, students used a magnetometer to explore for anomalies below a parking lot.

Here, Kisa Mwakanyamale (center, gray shirt) explains ground-penetrating radar data interpretation. In this "geophysical piñata" exercise, students hunted for buried candy using a Malå 500 MHz instrument.

NMR @ MMR

2011-05-20T08:05:00.001-07:00

These are some photos from two days in the field demonstrating nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instruments at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) on Cape Cod.

Dr. Kristina Keating operating the GMR instrument.

The MMR has lots of wells...

Dr. Dave Walsh (president of VistaClara) with the "Javelin" borehole tool.

Guadalupe Mountains Field Course, West Texas/New Mexico

2011-03-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

The south face of the Guads

Presenting interpretations in Last Chance Canyon

El Capitan

Pinelands Workshop

2010-11-29T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Pinelands Hydrogeophysics Workshop was a successful student-organized event run by the Rutgers-Newark Geophysical society in the Fall of 2010. For more information, take a look at the article published in The Leading Edge magazine - the monthly periodical of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Dr. Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Dr. Nick Kettridge, Jeff Heenan, Dr. Kristina Keating and Dr. Andy Binley chatting about setting up the spectral induced polarization instrument (SIP-256).
Edmundo Placencia, Zach Oliver and Dr. Angelo Lampousis collecting GPR data in the forest.
Dr. Lee Slater and Dr. Johnathan Nyquist calibrating the SIP-256 in a (dry) vernal pool wetland.

Yves Personna making GPR measurements to find tree roots in the Silas Little Experimental Forest.

Check here for other galleries!

http://picasaweb.google.com/parsekia/PinelandsHydrogeophysicsWorkshop#
http://picasaweb.google.com/jayinboonton/PinelandsHydrogeophysicsWorkshop#

GPR in Durres Maar, Germany

2010-11-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to join Dr. Jan van der Kruk, Dr. Robert Moschen, Dr. Andreas Lücke, Dr. Jutta Bikowski and Sebastian Busch in the Durres Maar peatland in the Eifel region of Germany in 2010. Here are some photos of the research experience in a small peatland that is vastly different from the large ones I typically work on in North America.

Dinosaur Day 2010 @ The Newark Museum

2010-11-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

August 2009 Minnesota

2009-08-31T12:31:00.001-07:00

Xavier using the gas sampler.

Aerial view of the Sturgeon River Bog.

Lee and Xavier running the GPR.

Hiking through the bog crest towards the fen.

Helicopter is the best way to get to work.

June 2009 South Jersey

2009-07-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Resistivity line going up a hill.

Dimitris and Brian setting up the resistivity instrument.

Brian and Karen near the injection wells.

Dimitris setting up the SuperSting.

June 2009 Pinelands, New Jersey

2009-07-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Pinelands wildlife.

Sahil with the GPR sled.

Setting up the instrument.

June 2009 Caribou Bog, Maine

2009-07-01T07:41:00.002-07:00

Greg and I collecting a CMP dataset.

Installing inclinometer casing.

Installing more casing...

Xavier and Greg in the bog.

Bog study site.

March 2009 Red Lake, Minnesota Expedition

2009-03-20T12:51:00.001-07:00

Pulling the GPR through the snowy forest.

Out on the bog lawn with the GPR sled.

Stopping for a break towing the gear.

Set up to collect CMP's.

Jay and I hiking back to get picked up.

Also, don't forget to check out the VIDEOS on youTube!
Snowmobile Ride
Waiting to get picked up

NJ Pinelands Research Station

2009-03-06T10:04:00.001-08:00

500Mhz cart-mounted radar for very-near surface profiling.

Jay posing with the drag-pad setup.

The team collecting common-midpoint (CMP) data to estimate radar velocity at the site.

November 2008: Turtle Back Park (round 2)

2008-11-26T08:48:00.001-08:00

Students moving the shielded GSSI radar antenna.

Control unit of the GSSI radar system.

Dr. Montgomery Setting up the GSSI radar system.

Students working along side geophyical transects.

Setting up a seismic line parallel to the resistivity survey.

2008-11-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

Sandy Hook State Park: November

Looking down a GPR line that runs from the top of the beach to the ocean.

200Mhz GPR set up for stratigraphy profiling.

Moshood and Sahil after a cold day of geophysics.

2008-11-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Highlands ENvironmental Research Institute

2008-11-03T06:50:00.000-08:00

Upcoming GPR Course

Check out the upcomming GPR course I will be assisting with: http://continuoused.rutgers.edu/radar/

2008-11-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

November 2008, Turtle Back Park with NJCU Geophysics Class

Jay and Dr. Montgomery setting up a resistivity survey with the Iris Syscal Pro

2008-11-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

October 2008: NJ Pinelands Research Station

Working in a vernal pond clearing.

Another vernal pond.

500Mhz GPR on the cart.

2008-11-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Seward Peninsula Alaska, Summer 2008

Midnight looking towards Russia. Active layer probe is visible as a 'T' on the left.

Land of the midnight sun.

The marine GPR setup.

Night photo courtesy L. Plug (Dalhousie University). Bear-barrels to the left of the tent.

Looking along the GPR/Resistivity transect at Kim Lake, Camp 2.

Lots more photos of this expedition are available in this photo album.

2008-11-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Kearny Marsh Fieldwork, Spring 2008

Setting up a resistivity survey.

The resistivity line looking towards the train bridge.

Phragmities in the marsh.

2008-11-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Summer 2008 trip to Caribou Bog, Orono, Maine

Sahil using the GPR.

Xavier rafting on a pool.

Pool near the platform.

Lee and Andy collecting data.

Pool at dusk.

2008-11-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

March 2008 winter field work in Caribou Bog, Orono, Maine.

Reviewing GPR data.

Snowshoeing through to woods to the site.

Setting up for data collection.

Another GPR profile.

Snowshoeing on the frozen bog.

2008-11-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

Summer 2007 expedition to Red Lake Peatland, based out of Washkish, MN.

Oblique aerial photo.

The hatchery building used for base camp.

Flying with Lee.

Collecting GPR at the lawn site.