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Tag Archives: Asian monsoon project
Human adaptation to climate change in prehistoric NE Thailand?
This pretty challenging line, however without the question mark, is the title of a new manuscript, which we submitted yesterday. For this manuscript we pulled together all the paleoclimate evidences we have for Northeast Thailand based on our sedimentary records … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Singapore sabbatical, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, lake sediments, monsoon history, Nanyang Technical University, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Thailand for foodies
Most people love Thai food, although tourists generally want a milder, less spicy version of these delicious dishes. This often means that restaurants aimed for tourists only rarely serve good and authentic Thai food. Eating is an important part of … Continue reading
A day in the jungle of northern Thailand
The Bangkok heat and traffic (speak pollution) is sometimes really too much and spending a weekend in cooler northern Thailand seems to be the perfect escape. A place I had wanted to see for a long time is the small … Continue reading
Lakes and wetlands tell an important story
A few days ago, I gave a lecture to undergraduate students in geology at Chulalongkorn University. I chose the title ‘Lakes and wetlands tell an important story’ since the focus of our Asian monsoon project is on lakes and wetlands … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Bangkok sabbatical, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, sabbatical, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand
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Another week in Bangkok
It is almost three weeks now since I arrived here in Bangkok, and almost two weeks since I moved into the apartment at House by the Pond. Time passes by really quick! Inside House by the Pond View from a … Continue reading
From floor 26 to floor 2
It is definitely not easy to find a serviced apartment here in Bangkok given the requirements I have: quiet location, nice neighborhood, close to the subway and to Chulalongkorn University, not higher than floor 10, and if possible in an … Continue reading
Plant remains from ancient sediments
During the weeks before Christmas I was busy at the microscope looking through sample after sample to select plant remains for radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dates provide us with an age for our sediment sequences, and to obtain good and valid … Continue reading
Summing up 2014
At this time of the year people send Christmas cards and wishes for the upcoming year. Some even summarize in shorter and longer reports what they and their family had been up to during the year. These types of letters … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Les Eyzies, monsoon history, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand, tsunami
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It’s been a long time
Yes, I am still around and yes I am fine, and no, I am not lazy, just terribly busy with other things! It has been exactly 41 days since I published my last blog. And so much has happened since. … Continue reading
The big day
Within one week, two of my PhD students successfully defended their PhD theses: Akkaneewut (Nut) Chabangborn on October 10th and Sakonvan (Moo) Chawchai on October 17. It was a great and stressful day for each of them – first presenting … Continue reading
Not lazy, just too busy!
I know that I should have reported more from this year’s EGU meeting in Vienna, which for us was a really successful meeting, with many posters and a talk, and many people interested in our research! Camilla, Moo and Kweku … Continue reading
Monsoon film gets attention
Great to see that our latest film Under the Eyes of the Buddha – in White Coats now is a news item on Stockholm University’s Science Faculty’s homepage. Hopefully this will help spreading the film to a wider audience. I … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Science and media, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Communicating research, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, science, science career, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand, university
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Under the Eyes of the Buddha – In White Coats
Finally, finally our latest video about the Asian Monsoon Project is finished! This film really took time to finish! But then it is also different from the earlier films. It involves many more people, a specially designed animation, and specially … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Science and media, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Communicating research, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, media, monsoon history, natural science, Plastic Buddha, science, science communication, scientists, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Thailand
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The luxury of a sabbatical
My application for a sabbatical next year has been approved! What a luxury to being able to spend time abroad and to being able to only and entirely concentrate on my research. It is great that Stockholm University provides and … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Science and media, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, Myanmar, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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Sediments and radiocarbon dating
Time flies, which means busy days and definitely no boredom! Last week we had a successful workshop, which focused on Asian monsoon research at the Bolin Centre, and brought together scientists interested in different aspects of the Asian monsoon: paleo-data, … Continue reading
Asien monsoon research at the Bolin centre
Next week we will host a small workshop dealing with the Southeast Asian monsoon, past, present and future. Three invited speakers will present their research next Thursday, Kevin Anchukaitis and Jessica Tierney from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Hans Linderholm … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, natural science, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Posters and talks at EGU
This year’s participation in the annual meeting of the European Geoscience Union will be tough! All our eight abstracts have been accepted, and this means a lot of work. Of course we still don’t know which of these will be … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged ancient tsunamis, Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Communicating research, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Myanmar, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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A new year has started again
I have read somewhere that making too many wishes for the coming year just increases the stress, because one will almost always not be able to fulfill most of these wishes and/or all the good intentions. Thus – no wishes … Continue reading
Focus on the Thailand monsoon project
In summer each year I tell myself that next year will definitely be less busy, that I will have less commitments and that I definitely need to say much fewer spontaneous ‘YES’. But – by late autumn my calendar is … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Too curious to wait
Last week we opened two of our Myanmar sediment sequences, described the sediments and sub-sampled one sequence. The first preliminary analyses will be made in January/February and will give us a good idea of where to focus further investigations. It … Continue reading
Still jet-lagged
The seven-hour difference between Singapore and Sweden is still haunting me, but I guess in a few days I will be back to normal again. Would it have been summer with long days and short nights, the jet lag would … Continue reading
Posted in Thoughts and Tales
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Myanmar, natural science, NTU, Singapore, Stockholm University
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Busy days in Singapore
Tropical heat, tropical humidity, tropical thunderstorms and tropical rains – that’s how Singapore presented itself to me. Finally I managed to get an experience of heavy monsoon rains! Singapore is well adapted to this type of climate. Air-conditioning is on … Continue reading
160 kg plus 55 kg
After a three-hour drive we were back in Mandalay, the holy and magical city with its many temples, monasteries and myriad of people, cars and motorbikes. We had a couple of hours before our flight left and used the time … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Myanmar, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Mandalay, Mandalay hill, Monywa, Myanmar, natural science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Bye-bye Monywa
How shall we manage to get all our samples out of the country and into Thailand? This question has been on my mind for several days now. My first worry, some days ago, was about the equipment and the permission … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Myanmar, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, Monywa, natural science, sediment core, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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Many helping hands
Everyday two or three master students join our little expedition. They help carry the equipment, join us out on the lakes for coring, filter the water samples, assist in sub-sampling and help packing everything up again. The students are so … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Myanmar, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Monywa, Myanmar, natural science, science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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The sounds of Myanmar
During the past two days and nights we have been surrounded by a constant singing or preaching from loudspeakers. Small pickup trucks drive all around the town and the larger villages with loudspeakers mounted on the back. Along the streets … Continue reading
No secrets revealed in Shinme Chauk
The sediments of ‘Banana Lake’ or Lake Shinme Chauk, which is located close to the Bronze Age cemetery of Nyanggan, were the last on our to do list. The lake is very shallow, and partly overgrown, but according to the … Continue reading
Early morning in Monywa
Another of these early mornings! Getting up at 6 am, leaving at 6:30, and eating breakfast in one of the street restaurants on our way to the lakes. The hotels where we had stayed before served breakfast, but our current … Continue reading
China phones
What surprises me most, is that almost everyone has a cell phone. Not just a simple one, but smart phones with all kinds of different apps. If we want the man with the bullock cart to come and get us, … Continue reading
Another day in the surroundings of Monywa
One group with Nut, Lin Thu Aung, and Thomas completed coring at Leshe Lake today, and the other group with Sheri, Rienk, Zaw Win and another student drove to one of the three deeper crater lakes to obtain a gravity … Continue reading
What a different world
It is fun talking to the students about life in Myanmar. One of my questions was of course if there were any female geology students, because we have only met men so far. The students told us that only 10% … Continue reading
All these friendly people
I am really overwhelmed by all the friendly people we meet everyday and everywhere: the staff at the different hotels we are staying in, the village chief and the villagers, people in the market, on the street, and in restaurants … Continue reading
And the cores keep coming
No driving down the steep sandy slopes to the crater lake today. I think the drivers got a bit worried yesterday, given frequent meetings with bullock carts, the narrow paths, the steep slope, the deep tracks and the huge hollows, … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Myanmar, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, bullock carts, crater lake, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, Lake Kumphawapi, lake sediments, Leshe Lake, Monywa, Myanmar, natural science, sediments, Stockholm University, Students, Sweden, Upper Myanmar, water lilies
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What a lucky day!
What an amazing day we had today! Accompanied by three MSc students and two officials from the Ministry of Forestry and Environmental Conservation we headed towards our first lake, Leshe Lake. I had never imagined that the two huge 4WDs … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Myanmar, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, crater lakes, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, monsoon history, Monywa, Myanmar, natural science, paleoclimate, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Equipment arrived, permission received!
Lin Thu arrived this evening from Yangon after a 10 hour-long drive. He had with him the equipment and the permissions to core all the five lakes! What more could we wish for! Tonight I passed by the temple and … Continue reading
No connection to the outer world
Our hotel has wireless Internet on all its seven floors. The only problem is that the connection only works sporadically. This is obviously not only the hotel’s problem. We tried at several other spots where Wi-Fi is offered, but it … Continue reading
Buddha heard my prayer
Day #3 in Monywa and we have still no news regarding equipment and permissions. Now we have a bit more than a week left, but if the equipment arrives soon and if the permissions are issued before the weekend, we … Continue reading
The second tallest Buddha in the world
The second tallest Buddha figure in the world is really something we did not want to miss out while being in Monywa! This 116 meters high golden Buddha statue took 11 years to build. Inside this monumental figure are numerous … Continue reading
Questions and no answers
Back again in Bangkok! It is always a nice feeling to arrive early in the morning and then drive into the slowly awakening city, which is usually full of life and people, and bustling with energy, but still really calm … Continue reading
On my way to SE Asia again
Just a few minutes left before boarding and then starts the nine and a half hours direct flight to Bangkok. The trip to SE Asia is short compared to the return flight, which will be almost twelve hours, plus the … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Myanmar, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, Myanmar, natural science, sediments, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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Stockholm – Bangkok – Mandalay – Bangkok – Singapore – Stockholm
In less than a week’s time I will hopefully be out coring on some of the crater lakes close to Monywa, a town which lies a 2-3 hour car drive west of Mandalay in Myanmar. I write hopefully, because we … Continue reading
Leaking boats and 32 degrees C
Early rise this morning and ambitious plans for finishing coring at Nong Thale Pron before noon, because the weather forecast had predicted more torrential rains for around 1 pm. Early mornings are special – the light is different; the noises … Continue reading
Posted in Asian monsoon, Thailand fieldwork and travels, Thoughts and Tales, Travels
Tagged Asian monsoon, Asian monsoon project, Chulalongkorn University, Department of Geological Sciences, Geological Sciences, geology, lake sediments, natural science, Stockholm University, Sweden, Thailand
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Another day of rain and thunderstorms
Despite the weather forecast of heavy rain, thunderstorms and risk for mudflows and landslides, we decided to get back to our lake Nong Thale Pron and to make an attempt to get at least a few cores. We had found … Continue reading
Rains and thunderstorms
A wish comes true! I always wanted to experience a real monsoon rain with dark, menacing clouds, thunder and lightning, and of course heavy raindrops. Here it is now – I have got all I wanted and can follow the … Continue reading
The way of looking at things
My squared brain has real difficulties adjusting. Even after more than two weeks in Asia, I am still in the western mood of going from A to B in a straight line, although I know that one can also go … Continue reading
Being connected with the world
Wi-Fi is available at almost all the places here in Thailand where we have stayed so far, in the lobby and in the hotel rooms. This is great and it would be even better if it would be stable enough … Continue reading
Moving south
Thailand is a very large country extending over 1869 km from its northernmost point at Chiang Rai at the border to Laos (approximately 20 degrees N), to its southernmost point at Betong, which is one of the border crossings to … Continue reading
Not a drop of water
The heat becomes almost unbearable around 10 am, which means getting up really early and using the cooler morning hours for working on and around the lake. Usually a light breeze starts around 11 am and the sky becomes overcast … Continue reading
Who is who in this year’s fieldwork group?
It is probably time to present the participants of this year’s great expedition to the lakes of northern and southern Thailand: Minna Väliranta from Helsinki University, who together with her MSc students works on the plant macrofossil record of several … Continue reading
Count-down
Just five days left until I leave Sweden for six weeks of fieldwork in Thailand. Nut and Moo are already back in Bangkok preparing the equipment, booking hotels and cars and drivers, and Kweku is getting all his fieldwork equipment … Continue reading
Happy New 2012
Will 2012 really be a happy year? Will it be a year without major catastrophes, without wars, and without tragedies? Very likely it will not. It will probably be a year as all the years before – wars, violations, disasters, … Continue reading
Barbara Wohlfarth 