Sustainable Environment Students Create Bathymetric Map

These students drilling holes in the ice on the retention pond behind AMSA weren’t ice fishing… they were taking depth measurements. The students are in AMSA’s Sustainable Environment course and were creating a bathymetric map of the pond, which is an important tool for studying water bodies. Led by Mr. Brandes, Ms. Jagielski, and Ms. Thibault, students used hand augers to take depth readings from various locations on the ice, while others measured the perimeter of the pond to determine the surface area. The resulting bathymetric map will tell them a lot about the ecology of the pond, water volume, water flow, and even species living in the underwater environment. (Note: Teachers thoroughly checked ice thickness prior to bringing students to the pond!)