From Barisal to Khulna
New roadways and bridges, a city in Dhaka and brand-new train lines are all underway as Bangladesh relocations from being a low earnings country to a lower middle earnings country
.
To get our devices from the embankment road to the school and then the open field close by, we hired a rickshaw van
.
We gradually bumped over the roadway to our hotel. We originally approximated 3 hrs to get there, but incorrect directions from Google and a horrible brick roadway at the end suggested it took 4. The final part will be reaching the remaining GNSS and RSET sites by boat.
A little ferry brings individuals and bikes with the large new bridge being built in the background.
From the ferry ghat (dock), I could see the large new bridge nearing completion.
Our car ferry techniques.
There is a significant amount of building going on all over the nation. With 7% financial growth each year for the last 4 years, the country is growing. New bridges and roads, a metro in Dhaka and brand-new railway are all underway as Bangladesh relocations from being a low earnings nation to a lower middle earnings country
.
The RSET team, Ira, Masud, Upal, Pinky, Nahid setting up the determining arm.
The RSET (rod surface area elevation table) measures sediment build-up, elevation changes and shallow subsidence relative to the 80 foot rods we pounded into the ground.
Packing the rickshaw van to take our equipment to the sites.
The GNSS will measure the outright motion of a similar rod, offering us the deep component of subsidence. The two GNSS here have only remained in place 2.5 years, too short for reputable rate quotes, however they have actually consistently revealed faster subsidence by ~ 1 mm/y on the structure, which is less deeply rooted than the rod
.
Our team by the GNSS antenna on the RSET rod. Bachchu, Sanju, Upal, Masud, Nahid, me, Pinky, Ira with Chris still exploring the fields.
To get here required another ferry crossing to get to this land on the edge of the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest. We had to drive around the island utilizing the roadway on top of the embankment as the interior roads are not suitable for our vans. To get our devices from the embankment road to the school and then the open field nearby, we employed a rickshaw van
.
Bachchus garden, the part that was simple to walk through.
We were likewise satisfied by Bachchu, the local farmer who permitted us to put our devices in his rice fields and is a member of the school council. We were both pleased to see each other after over 2 years. The very first site at the school, SNT1, looked quite great. Although we lost contact in late October, the receiver continued taping data into December, when the battery got too low.
Some local ladies collecting rice.
We then inspected the grounding rod. To our relief, it was still in location, but the wire to it cut off. We just had to splice in a new piece of wire. SNT2, with its receiver box in Bachchus garden was even much better. The battery was low, however still running. We changed the battery with a brand-new one anyway to be safe. As we edged around the central pond of the garden, Bachchu provided me fresh cucumbers. This website went surprisingly efficiently, however the RSET team still beat us as we had two GNSS here.
Our cars and truck squeezing by the newly gathered rice while driving on the lumpy brick road.
We gradually bumped over the road to our hotel. The long drive and diversion to the sites at Sonatola suggested we arrived at 7pm, another 12 hour day.
Sanju stands next to a working GNSS station. The antenna is behind him with the electronic devices and battery in the waterproof box.
We originally estimated 3 hrs to get there, however wrong directions from Google and a terrible brick road at the end indicated it took 4. We ended up getting out of the vehicle and strolling to lighten the load for the automobile. The location of this site is mainly Hindu, and we passed lots of temples and shrines
.
A regional teen climbed the tree blocking the antenna and lower a lot of the offending branches.
After walking to the school, which doubles as a cyclone shelter, we met the headmaster and went up to the roofing system. To our surprise, we discovered the receiver working and still taping information. When we changed the batteries, we found one of the old battery cases was divided, so they werent wish for this world. Nevertheless, there was one tall tree that sprung up between the GNSS and the open field with the RSET. We wish to try a new strategy here called GNSS-IR (interferometric reflectometry). It utilizes the bounce from a river or now the ground, to determine its elevation listed below the GNSS antenna. It can possibly give us continuous measurements of the surface area subsidence and seasonal variation, however not if a tree is obstructing the view
.
At the local store on the corner, the owner makes cups of tea for everybody
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We left the RSET team and headed back, stopping for a fast lunch around 5 pm, just as the RSET group was finishing its work
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A street in Khulna with the type of green autorickshaw we required to the museum.
The RSET group was now finished with their land websites, but our boat will not be prepared until 7:30 pm. We had one site at nearby Khulna University. We completed it prior to midday. Sanju, Chris and I then went to the Divisional Archeological Museum to meet the Regional Director, Afroza Khan Mita. When we got here in an autorickshaw, we found here and her whole staff waiting in a line at the entryway to welcome us with flowers.
Afroza Khan Mita provides me a recreation of a terra cotta tile as a present.
She arranged a web workshop series I was part of on the archeology of deltaic ecology. It was terrific to meet her in person and we are both excited about the possible partnership. The final part will be reaching the staying GNSS and RSET websites by boat.