We looked for evidence of a Cyclone.

This week at the JASON Boot Camp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been an awesome experience! One of the activities I remember the most is snorkeling in a quarry. This was my first time to swim in a quarry, first time to snorkel, first time to wear a wetsuit, and first time to use a naturally decomposing bathroom. I am not a very good swimmer. At first, I was extremely nervous about snorkeling. But as I got more familiar with the water and the equipment, I became more comfortable. In groups, we surveyed around the rocks on the side of the quarry and two sunken boats that lay at the bottom. In the middle of the day, we played a game called “The Human Raft”.  Because the rules stated that everyone in a group had to stay connected, this involved a lot of teamwork, planning, and testing of the plans. In my group, we had two people floating on their backs in the front and two propellers in the back.  Using this plan, we were ahead of all the other teams and

I don’t really swim, but I did it anyway!

eventually won the race. I would never have imagined it, but I actually thought that it was a fun day!     

 

One of the shipwrecks we focused on this week was the Windiate, a schooner that sank about a century ago. What was unusual about this ship was that it still seemed to be in such good condition, it might just float away if it was put to the surface again. Nothing seemed to be damaged on the Windiate. Underwater archeologists also couldn’t find any bones of the crew members of the ship. It was the strangest situation I have ever come across. This case captured my interest almost immediately. Before, I just knew divers dove to investigate shipwrecks. But until then, I never knew it was so interesting and mysterious. Of course, understanding this case also involved a lot of research and experiments, which led to the real

The gang is all here!

reason the ship was sunk: ice froze on top of the ship, which kept everything onboard untouched, caused the sinking of  the Windiate.    

 

On Thursday, we went on a boat on Lake Michigan. I had more fun that day than any other time on a boat.  I learned a lot on this trip. The technology the scientists used on the boat amazed me! The underwater camera was so clear that I could even see the particles in the water. We examined the different kinds of mussels, algae, and other microorganisms that grew on the bottom of the boat. I have seen images like this on television, but I never imagined I would be able to see them on my own trip!  The side-scanning sonar was also very interesting. Through the images it sent onto the boat, we could see the shape of a sunken ship, the ripples of the ground underwater, and more.  On this boat trip, I learned a lot more about the lake, the

What a crowd!

animals living in the lake, and the technology scientists use to perform investigations. Not only did I gain plenty of knowledge, I also had a lot of fun! 

 

During this trip, I tried many things I have never done before. I learned a great deal about weather and shipwrecks, and I also had tons of fun. I really look forward to the Field Assignment. I know it is going to be an awesome experience, just like the JASON Boot Camp.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sonar tells the story.	Milwaukee is beautiful.
I think I can be a boat pilot.	Invasive Species