As part of another NSF funded project, I’m in Russia for ~3 weeks with a group of four people.  Two have never been to Russia before, so in some ways it is a good test run to help identify some of the logistical challenges we’ll face moving the Polaris Project group from the US to Moscow to Yakutsk to Cherskiy.  We’re in Yakutsk now and leave for Zhigansk in a few hours.  Temperatures have ranged from about 0C in Moscow to -25C in Yakutsk, with -40C(-40F) predicted for Zhigansk.  The locals say that winter is over and they are now enjoying spring!  In Zhigansk we’ll be sampling the Lena River (through ~2 meters of ice).  We’re interested in how climate change is impacting the discharge and chemistry of rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean.  The Lena is the second largest of the arctic rivers and has an annual discharge equal to the Mississippi.  Cherskiy, where the Polaris Project will be based, is on the Kolyma River – a smaller river but still 10 times bigger than the largest river on the East Coast of the US(the Hudson).  I don’t know if I’ll have internet access in Zhigansk, but will post a more thorough report in 8-9 days when we get back to Yakutsk.  I’ll also try to post some photos in the photo gallery.   Max Holmes