Sophomore Harvard College 19 Years Biophysics and/or Economics zhipeng.sun@gmail.com

"Every four summers that I have previously spent in Qingdao have been eerily similar – sleep until noon, read to keep from being bored at my grandparents, shop at Jusco, the usual three meals, and bed by ten. Inductive logic indicates that this summer would be the same. Not that there is anything wrong with the above (especially the shopping – and of course, the great food). But alas…

This summer has been amazing! The largest difference from previous summers, of course, is the research. The Ocean University of China is a good location to conduct research, a beautiful haven by the busy Qingdao old downtown. Despite beginning setbacks, my mentor and graduate student proved helpful in directing my research, and my project proved extremely interesting once I jumped through the introductory hurdles. The environment is relaxed, yet conducive to working – the offices are open at all hours of the night. Great for the mornings which necessitate sleeping in, or the late night internet runs– wait, I mean work… A word of advice – don’t be afraid of applying because you feel you have not enough background knowledge (or, in my case, almost none at all). With a little reading on the field (physical oceanography here), a bit of help from the mentors, and most importantly effort on your part, you will be set to go.

Living conditions were also good - a three-star hotel (Jin Hai) with food galore less than a two minute walk from the room. My personal favorite for food is the Sichuan restaurant outside of Gate 4 (Ga le shan), the one by the hotel. Ga la’s are definitely the food of choice. And on the way back, stop for a cream-sicle and occasional bag in a beer (or beer in a bag as the others call it) right outside the gate. Pure bliss.

And for entertainment, look no further than the internet café for games of CS (yes, get back to your high school roots and don’t feel guilty for it), as it is still amazing. For something more exciting, shopping at Zhongshan Lu (Giordano = must go), a trip to the beach, a walk by the new town, or just wondering around the city does wonders. Look at the nightlife page for more fun things to hit up.

Some suggestions: try to get cell phone service while you’re here, you can obtain a SIM card and 50RMB in change for 100RMB at the China Mobile booth on campus. All you need for it to work is an unlocked GSM phone, and it works wonders for communication or for receiving calls from the States.  Also, a bank account may be good to avoid trips to cash traveler’s checks – they take 10 minutes to open up, and provide an ATM card for withdrawals. Take someone proficient in Chinese if you feel uncomfortable with it.

Below is the abstract for my research. Feel free to email me at zhipeng.sun@gmail.com with any questions or comments! I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for research experience and immersion in Chinese culture."

The Size Spectrum of Suspended Matter in Seawater

This paper investigates the distribution and dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration in the Bohai Sea. Previous research in the area was limited to sampling analyzed in the laboratory, distorting the SPM size spectrum as smaller particles are cohesive and larger particles dissociate. The LISST-100B, an advanced optical device, allows for in-situ measurement of the SPM size spectrum. LISST-100B, ADCP, CTD, and Anemometer data are analyzed during a period of low Yellow River discharge. A size spectrum analysis of SPM distribution and a time-series analysis are undertaken. Areas of high SPM concentration are found in the western Laizhou Bay and in the western Bohai Sea. SPM in the region is determined to be due to resuspension of particulate matter from the Yellow River before 1996. Unlike previously thought, the present-day Yellow River delta does not significantly affect SPM concentration levels as the water output contains low SPM and as resuspension is local in nature. The majority of SPM are particles smaller than 6 microns in volume-equivalent diameter (VED). Areas further from the Yellow River have a greater percentage of larger particles. For the first time, the size limit of resuspension is determined to be around 210 microns in VED. This provides a basis for finding the relationship between tidal currents and the critical velocity for resuspension with respect to particle size.