G15K (REMOVED)

Station Notes

• Station Close-Out Report
• Significant bear damage repaired summer 2018
  

Service Plan

Site Access

• Helicopter

Site Contact

• No site contact

Site Visits

•  2021_05_31 Removal (R. Bierma, K. Schroeder)

  USArray Station Removal Report Form V1.5

  STATION CODE: TA.G15K

  STATION LOCALE DESCRIPTION: Niukluk, AK

  STATION REMOVAL LOG DATE (UTC): 05/31/21

  STATION/SENSOR DOWN TIME (UTC): 22:43

  REMOVAL DESCRIPTION: Sensor removed, borehole casing cutoff and capped, hut removed.

  
  

  ACTIONS TAKEN: Powered the station down after collecting a final screenshot.  Sensor issued "remove" command, log file captured (attached). Orientation was taken and sensor removed. The metal casing was cut off 8” below grade using a die grinder and capped with a 6" expansion end plug. The remaining hole was filled with local dirt and rock.

  The hut was packed with the conduit, well cap, casing cut off, hut antenna mount and any other site debris.

   

  CASING CONDITIONS: The casing was in good condition with no damage to the wellcap. No evidence of frost jacking. The conduit had been pulled out from both ends by a bear. At the wellcap end around 5 m of the sensor cable had been pulled out, but it was still functional despite minor chew marks.

  SEISMOMETER REMOVAL: 1/3 difficulty.

  The jack was used to break sand tension, but it was only a light force. No water or ice down hole.

   

  LAT/LONG OF SENSOR HOLE: N 64.99412, W -164.03856, WAAS enabled

  Distance and azimuth to Hut from Sensor hole: 154", 190.870 degrees

  Wind turbine: [not present]

  Bottom of wellcap to grade level: 5”

  
  

  SENSOR ORIENTATION MEASUREMENTS:

  Measured with Octans Unit: b/c 5008931, s/n 34531211

  Measured with rods on pin: Yes

  Casing/wellcap marked with reference orientation: No

  
  

  SENSOR ORIENTATION: 358.7 degrees

  Sensor orientation from install: n/a. The sensor was replaced in 2019 (20190514) and a new orientation was not reported.

  
  

  COMMENTS: Vaisala still had active connection to EP

  
  

  REMOVED:

  
  

  Q330 TagId – 1957; bc – 5004961

  Baler 44 sn – 56259; bc – 5002342  

  STS5A sn – 130708; bc – 5014850   

  VIE bc – 5009078

  QEP sn – 119570; bc – 5011113  

  infra SETRA sn – 4508948; bc – 5010793  

  infra NCPA sn – H110240116; bc – 5010947

  Regulator Board sn – 489; bc – 5010314

  BGAN Modem sn – 353938030027373; bc – 5002688 

  BGAN SIM sn – 898709914412002410

  XI202 sn – 703; bc – 5018225

  WXT536 sn – P4620684; bc – 5019045 

  Power sys 1.6.4

  Charge Controller bc – 5016827

  LiFePO4 sn – 5332; bc – 5017307

  LiFePO4 sn – 5376; bc – 5017343

  LiFePO4 sn – 5601; bc – 5017651

  LiFePO4 sn – 5619; bc – 5017668

  LiFePO4 sn – 5621; bc – 5017670

  LiFePO4 sn – 5644; bc – 5017693

  
  

  
  

  DAMAGE: None

  
  

  LEFT AT SITE: cutoff casing with cap

    

  VISITORS:

  1. Bierma
  2. Schroeder (Recon)
  3. Pahl (Alpine)
  4. Potgieter (Alpine)

  
  

  
  

•  2019_05_14 Service (J. Miner, D. Bloomquist)

  USArray Station Service Report
  Form V1.0

  STATION CODE:
  TA.G15K

  STATION Locale Description:
  Niukluk, AK

  STATION SERVICE LOG DATE:
  20190514

  STATION/SENSOR DOWN TIME (UTC):
  Sensor was disconnected from Q330 for about 2 hours from ~1600-1800 UTC on 5/15/2019

  SERVICE DESCRIPTION:
  The second mass of the STS5A sensor at the site would get stuck at the rail during recenters over the winter. About 1 week before the site visit, the sensor was auto recentered and correctly centered without Mass2 becoming stuck. Site's WXT520 was not recording wind data due to damage to the wind sensors by birds.

  UPON ARRIVAL:
  Site was in good shape. Conduit was on the surface and the rocks that covered it had been pulled back. It was not pulled out from the hut or the wellcap. Some bird poop covered the top and middle solar panels. Aluminum tape that had been put on the hut in August 2018 was completely removed from the hut (little bits of the tape were littered around the site);

  ACTIONS TAKEN:
  Replaced the STS5A sensor and cable
  Replaced the WXT520 with a new WXT536 with bird spike kit installed
  Updated the QEP FW to ver 1.10

  EQUIPMENT REMOVED:
  STS5A sensor - 5015641 (130801)
  STS5A cable - no known issue with this cable, it was never exposed to animal damage
  WXT520 - 5017752 (M2820856) - unit's wind sensors were removed by birds, otherwise it functioned normally

  EQUIPMENT INSTALLED:
  STS5A sensor - 5014850 (130708)
  STS5A cable
  WXT536 - 5019045 (P4620684)

  COMMENTS:
  The stuff sacks in the borehole were slightly damp. The sensor pulled out from the sand easily - much easier than the last time the sensor was replaced at the site in August, 2018. There was too much sand on top of the sensor to be able to check its orientation before it was pulled to the surface. The sand on top of the sensor was dry.

  There was no animal damage to the site that could explain why the sensor's mass would become stuck at the rail after recenters during the 2018-19 winter. The fact that the sensor did correctly center about 1 week before the site visit could suggest that temperature has a role in the issue.

  VISITOR:
  Jeremy Miner
  Turner Pahl (Alpine Air)
  Doug Bloomquist (report author)

  ON NEXT VISIT:
  This site seems to be visited by bears often. Always be prepared for bear damage to the wellcap, LB and conduit when visiting the site.

  CHANGES AFFECT INSTRUMENT RESPONSE:
  None (replacement sensor was also an STS5A)

• 2018_08_21 Service (R. Bierma, D. Bloomquist)
• 2017_07_16 Install (J. Miner, K. Aderhold, D. Bloomquist, M. Enders)
• 

Station Health

PDFs

ANF Station Page

MesoWest

64.99412, -164.03856, Elev: 817ft