Fieldwork Protocol & Procedures

This page covers general procedures for doing maintenance and calibration at our flux sites. Under normal operating conditions, maintenance trips should occur every 4-6 weeks for each site. Further trips can be scheduled as needed. Ensure you are review the key information before commencing field work. You can checklists below to help prepare for field visits and ensure you are following standard procedures while in the field.

Key Information

Planning a Trip

Make a clear list of tasks & goals. If you are going to one of the one of the flux stations you can check the field logs. See what was done on the last visit and check for notes to see if there is anything that needs to be done.

  • BB1&2
  • DSM
  • RBM
  • Use the checklists below to make sure you have all the supplies you need and complete all crucial tasks

Scheduling & Communication

Let the lab know when you will be going into the field and make sure you have at least one person joining you.

  • You can use the fieldwork slack channel to discuss scheduling
  • Book the Micromet Truck using the google calendar
    • Contact Rick for calendar access or to request alternative vehicle options.
  • If you are going into Burns Bog:
    • Both participants must be permit holders
    • You must also call Metro Vancouver to check in and check out: 604-520-6442

Safety

Ensure that you are familiar with the lab’s Safety Plan

  • In Summer: Be cautions of fire safety:
    • Don’t park on gras, bring water sprayer spray and fire extinguisher.
  • In Winter: Be mindful of the weather forecasts:
    • Dress appropriately, bring extra socks, a head lamp, gloves, etc.
    • Check the tides when going to RBM or DSM

Checklists

Use these checklists to help plan and conduct your site visits.

Pre-Departure

Table 1 is best completed the afternoon/evening before a site visit. Although you many not be able to pack the truck until the morning depending on scheduling, you can still gather supplies.

Table 1: Packing List for EC Site Visits
id Item Notes
0 Vehicle and Site Keys
1 Field Laptop Charge overnight & bring all necesary calbes plus DC>AC power converter
2 USB Sticks One per site - ensure its empty and formattedS
3 Wildlife Camera SD card + 8 AA batteries per camera as needed
4 Cleaning Supplies Wipes + washer fluid as needed
5 Desiccant 4-5 bags / site
6 Water Table Probe Yellow manual probe from lab
7 First Aid Kit Red first aid kit kept in ponderosa lab
8 Water & Snacks
9 Waders/Boots Waders necessary at BB sites except in summer - Boots are usually okay at DSM & RBM
10 Spare socks as needed during winter
11 Torch or deicing fluids for locks as needed during winter
12 Site Specific
13 DSM & RMB
14 Tool kit
15 7700 calibration shroud
16 BB Sites
17 Fire exthingusher & water spray only needed during fire season

On Site

To connect to the EC system on site with the laptop, use ethernet port on com box or Wifi if the site has a network connection. * You can also connect via mobile/hotspot using Vinimet if you encounter connectivity issues.

Table 2: Tasks on EC Site Visits
id Task Notes
0 Clean IRGAs as Needed See the Cleaning Page for details
1 Calibrate IRGAs See the Calibration Page for details
2 Swap USB in 7550 Press eject and wait for light to turn off before removal. Ensure light is blinking after inserting new stick.
3 Swap desiccant One per box
4 Refill 7700 washer fluid take note of fluid supply on site
5 Check radiometers Clean as needed
6 Check rain gauge Clean as needed
7 Check wildlife camera Swap SD card and replace batteries (8AA) as needed
8 Measure water table depth Take manual reading with probe record level and date/time. Record on google drive: BB1 BB2 DSM RBM - the csv files are under /Flux-tower/met_data/WTH in each site’s google drive folder
9 Check SWC Sensor Ensure it is still positioned correctly
10 Check Desiccant in Wtd Probe BB1 - inside logger box
BB2 - outside logger box below
11 Check Battery Box Ensure there is no water inside

After trip

Table 3: Tasks after Returning to Lab
id Task Notes
0 Update the lab Text the slack channel when done. Share important updates as needed
1 Fill out field logs see …. (we could hyperlink the drive files or have the logs as .csv files on github? Or perhaps create a submission form - something to look into later )
2 Vehicle log Record km’s in log book in car on return to UBC
3 Upload data Upload data from USBs SD cards etc. to the data-dump server
4 Upload/document calibration files and any changes to logger code
5 Charge the laptop
6 Place desiccant in the oven

Semi-Annual Maintenance & Calibration

These need to be made into a list/schedule:

  • Calibrate 7200 H20 Span (requires sensor be brought back to the lab)
  • Li-7200 internal chemical has to be replaced once per year (and update on Google Calendar and provide dates & details in field site Log > EC Log)
    • Last replacement for BB1 & BB2 was on 2022/02/09
    • Last replacement for DSM was on 2022/06/22
  • Li-7700 internal chemical has to be replaced if the optics RH exceeds 15% (and update on Google Calendar and provide dates & details in field site Log > EC Log): (project/site/photos/yyyymmdd)
    • last replacement was on 2022/06/09 for BB2
    • Last replacement for DSM was on 2022/06/22