Success on the Southern Transect

The Nubra Valley was scenic, but not scientifically useful to me.  To study hypoliths, you need a place where rocks stay still long enough for cyanobacteria to grow underneath them.  In the Nubra Valley everything is either vertical or in a flood plain.  It’s much too active geologically.  No rock stays put for long.

Lucky for me, we went south to Sumdo Lake, Tso Moriri, the salty Tso Kar, and 17,000-foot Tanglang La.  “Tso” mean “lake” just like “la” means “mountain pass”, so you can tell there are a lot of lakes here.  On a stony ridge overlooking Sumdo Lake (which is also called Khatsang Kara or Kiagar Tso on maps – confusing), I found green cyanobacteria growing under white stones and a great place to leave some marble tiles.

Sumdo Lake artificial hypolith array
Sumdo Lake artificial hypolith array

Because this place is so remote and difficult to get to, I held back two dozen tiles and put them on the shoreline of Tso Kar in a place where the soil is moist from groundwater being drawn up to the surface and evaporating.  It is salty, moist, and a little easier to get to than Sumdo Lake.  So I have artificial hypoliths in two locations in Ladakh. In a few years time somebody I am traveling with will check on their progress.

Tso Kar artificial hypolith array
Tso Kar artificial hypolith array

I also collected a dozen natural hypoliths and used my Li-Cor quantum radiometer to measure how much light is getting through to their undersides.  It appears that (as in California and Namibia), cyanobacteria here can thrive on a little less than 1/10th of one percent of direct sunlight.

Wing measures light transmittance on natural hypoliths
Wing measures light transmittance on natural hypoliths

So, I saw a lot of sights and visited a lot of schools (four total) but I also got some original science done.

This is my last post from India.

India flag. On August 15 (Independence Day) we raised the flag at Tso Moriri and had some songs and speeches.
India flag. On August 15 (Independence Day) we raised the flag at Tso Moriri and had some songs and speeches.
Annalea recovers from being knocked over by the camp's pet goat.
Annalea recovers from being knocked over by the camp’s pet goat.
Prayers stones next to a stupa. Most of them say "Om Mane Padme Hum."
Prayers stones next to a stupa. Most of them say “Om Mane Padme Hum.”
Sumdo Lake, aka Khatsang Kara or Kiagar Tso.
Sumdo Lake, aka Khatsang Kara or Kiagar Tso.

 

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