The two photos above show the general location of our upper testing area. The upper site is more shaded by other Birch trees and has many willows. The ground temperature seems to be stable because sunlight penetration is limited. (see graphs) This location differs from the other by 25 vertical feet and approximately 800 linear feet. When the pits were dug, the dirt higher up was more sandy and the lower pit seemed more like silt.

The photos below show the lower site is more open and ground water is very accessible as evidenced by the nearby body of water. The pond water level varies by as much as 5 feet as measured by a staff gauge.

Summer and Winter shots of the lower sample site