scholarly journals Production drilling at WAIS Divide

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (68) ◽  
pp. 147-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina R. Slawny ◽  
Jay A. Johnson ◽  
Nicolai B. Mortensen ◽  
Christopher J. Gibson ◽  
Joshua J. Goetz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Snow Surface ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
Drill Fluid ◽  
Drilling Operations

AbstractThe deep ice-sheet coring (DISC) drill was used for production ice-core drilling at WAIS Divide in Antarctica for six field seasons between 2007 and 2013. Continuous ice-core samples were obtained between the snow surface and 3405 m depth. During the 2012/13 austral summer, the DISC drill’s newly designed replicate ice-coring system was utilized to collect nearly 285m of additional high-quality core samples at depths of high scientific interest. Annual progress graphs are described, as well as milestones achieved over the course of the project. Drilling operations, challenges encountered, drill fluid usage, drilling results, and the drill crew’s experiences with the DISC drill and replicate coring system during production drilling are described and discussed in detail. Core-processing operations are described briefly, as well as the logistical undertaking of the DISC drill’s deployment to Antarctica.

scholarly journals The Berkner Island (Antarctica) ice-core drilling project

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 115-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Mulvaney ◽  
Olivier Alemany ◽  
Philippe Possenti
Keyword(s):  
Melting Point ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Drilling Operation ◽  
Drilling Technology ◽  
Pressure Melting ◽  
Small Team ◽  
Drilling Project

AbstractWe describe a project to retrieve a 948m deep ice core from Berkner Island, Antarctica. Using relatively lightweight logistics and a small team, the drilling operation over three austral summer seasons used electromechanical drilling technology, described in detail, from a covered shallow pit and a fluid-filled borehole. A basal temperature well below pressure-melting point meant that no drilling problems were encountered when approaching the bed and the borehole penetrated through to the base of the ice sheet, and sediment was retrieved from beneath the ice.

scholarly journals Deep ice-core drilling performance and experience at NEEM, Greenland

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (68) ◽  
pp. 53-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor J. Popp ◽  
Steffen B. Hansen ◽  
Simon G. Sheldon ◽  
Christian Panton
Keyword(s):  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Borehole Diameter ◽  
Extended Version ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Drilling Operation ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Drilling Performance ◽  
Drill Fluid ◽  
Drilling Operations

AbstractThe NEEM deep ice-core drilling in northwest Greenland was completed in summer 2010 after three seasons, which included establishing all drilling infrastructure. Normal drilling operations in the main borehole were declared terminated at 2537.36 m below the surface, when further penetration was stopped by a stone embedded in the ice in the path of the drill head. The design and implementation of the drilling operation strongly resembled the NGRIP drilling program. The NEEM drill was an extended version of the Hans Tausen (HT) drill, with specific modifications to optimize its use with the highly viscous Estisol-240/Coasol drill fluid used at NEEM. Modification to the drill and its performance in the new drilling fluid was largely satisfactory and successful. Throughout the drilling, special consideration was given to the way chips were transported and collected in a new chip chamber, including the consequences of drilling a larger borehole diameter than with previous drill operations that used the HT family of drills. The problems normally associated with warm ice drilling near the base of an ice sheet were largely absent at NEEM.

Byrd Station drilling 1966–69

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 24-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert T. Ueda
Keyword(s):  
Ethylene Glycol ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Average Diameter ◽  
Diesel Oil ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Us Army ◽  
Drilling Operation ◽  
The Us

AbstractAfter completion of the drilling by the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (USA-CRREL) at Camp Century, Greenland, in July 1966, the operation was moved to Byrd Station, Antarctica, during the 1966/67 austral summer. The drill employed was an electromechanical cable-suspended drill that used ethylene glycol to dissolve the chips formed, producing a core with an average diameter of 114 mm. A mixture of diesel oil and trichlorethylene was used as a borehole fluid. Ice-core drilling at Byrd Station occurred from 2 to 18 February 1967 and from 12 October 1967 to 2 February 1968 when the ice sheet was penetrated at a depth of 2164 m. During the ensuing 1968/69 season the drill was lost, and ultimately the cable was severed in early 1969/70 at a depth of 1545 m. This brief report reviews the drilling operation and some of the problems encountered primarily during the 1967/68 season, with a focus on the last few days of drilling.

scholarly journals Technical innovations and optimizations for intermediate ice-core drilling operations

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (68) ◽  
pp. 243-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Triest ◽  
Robert Mulvaney ◽  
Olivier Alemany
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Column Height ◽  
Drill Fluid ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Remote Sites ◽  
James Ross Island ◽  
Technical Innovations ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Core Storage

AbstractThe British Antarctic Survey, in collaboration with Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l’Environnement, has in recent years successfully drilled to bedrock on three remote sites around the Antarctic Peninsula. Based on the experience from the multi-season project at Berkner Island (948m depth, 2002–05) we optimized the drill set-up to better suit two subsequent single-season projects at James Ross Island (363m depth, 2008) and Fletcher Promontory (654m depth, 2012). The adaptations, as well as the reasons for them, are discussed in detail and include a drill tent set-up without a trench; drilling without a borehole casing with a relatively low fluid column height; and using a shorter drill. These optimizations were aimed at reducing cargo loads and installation time while maintaining good core quality, productivity and a safe working environment. In addition, we introduce a number of innovations, ranging from a new lightweight cable tensioning device and drill-head design to core storage and protection trays. To minimize the environmental impact, all the drill fluid was successfully recovered at both sites and we describe and evaluate this operation.

scholarly journals Drilling operations for the South Pole Ice Core (SPICEcore) project

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay A. Johnson ◽  
Tanner Kuhl ◽  
Grant Boeckmann ◽  
Chris Gibson ◽  
Joshua Jetson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
South Pole ◽  
The South ◽  
University Of Wisconsin ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Core Project ◽  
The University ◽  
Drill System

Abstract Over the course of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 austral summer seasons, the South Pole Ice Core project recovered a 1751 m deep ice core at the South Pole. This core provided a high-resolution record of paleoclimate conditions in East Antarctica during the Holocene and late Pleistocene. The drilling and core processing were completed using the new US Intermediate Depth Drill system, which was designed and built by the US Ice Drilling Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In this paper, we present and discuss the setup, operation, and performance of the drill system.

scholarly journals Deep ice core drilling to a depth of 3035.22 m at Dome Fuji, Antarctica in 2001–07

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Hideaki Motoyama ◽  
Akiyoshi Takahashi ◽  
Yoichi Tanaka ◽  
Kunio Shinbori ◽  
Morihiro Miyahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Storage Efficiency ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Pilot Hole ◽  
Core Length ◽  
Drilling Data ◽  
Antarctic Research ◽  
Drilling System ◽  
Small Holes

Abstract The Japanese second deep ice coring project was carried out at Dome Fuji, Antarctica. Following the drilling of the pilot hole in 2001, deep ice core drilling led by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) was conducted over four austral summer seasons, beginning with the 2003/04 season and reached a depth of 3035.22 m near the bedrock in January 2007. The new drill was designed and developed with the goals of (1) solving the problems encountered during the first JARE deep coring drill and (2) achieving more efficient drilling. In particular, the maximum core length that can be drilled at one time was increased from 2.30 m to 3.84 m and the chip storage efficiency was enhanced by a special pipe with many small holes. This paper gives an outline of the improved drilling system, the progress of drilling and various drilling data.

scholarly journals Ice Core Drilling and the Related Observations at SE-Dome site, southeastern Greenland Ice Sheet

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (0) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Yoshinori IIZUKA ◽  
Sumito MATOBA ◽  
Masahiro MINOWA ◽  
Tetsuhide YAMASAKI ◽  
Kaoru KAWAKAMI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Greenland Ice Sheet ◽  
Core Drilling

Ultrasonic velocity experiments on ice cores to complement fabric measurements

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Hellmann ◽  
Johanna Kerch ◽  
Melchior Grab ◽  
Henning Löwe ◽  
Andreas Bauder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Crystal Orientation ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Cores ◽  
Ultrasonic Waves ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
Ultrasonic Measurements ◽  
Polarised Light

<p>The ice crystal structure and in particular the crystal orientation fabrics (COF) provide valuable information about the deformation history of ice sheets and glaciers. Therefore, COF analysis has been among the standard measurement techniques for most deep ice core drilling projects in the last three decades. The analysis depends on carefully prepared thin sections of ice that are measured with cross-polarised light microscopy or electron backscattering and diffraction (EBSD). The preparation of thin sections is labour-intensive and therefore only a discrete number of samples along the ice core is usually analysed. Geophysical methods such as ultrasonic sounding along the ice core could be employed to complement the discrete fabric data by providing data to fill the gaps. A suitable method needs to be reasonably fast, ideally non-invasive and provides unambiguous information in combination with the established methods.</p><p>In our study, we demonstrate the feasibility of such ultrasonic experiments applied to an ice core to support the approved cross-polarised light microscopy method. Point-contact transducers transmitted ultrasonic waves into ice core samples from a temperate glacier. X-ray computer tomography measurements provide the required information to consider the effect of a two-phase medium (ice and air bubbles) in a porosity correction of the velocity. We determined the azimuthal variation of the seismic velocity. This variation is a result of seismic anisotropy due to the crystal orientation within the ice core volume. The measurements can be acquired within minutes and do not require an extensive preparation of ice samples.</p><p>In addition, the COF of adjacent ice core samples was measured with cross-polarised light spectroscopy. From this, we derived the elasticity tensor and finally calculated the associated seismic velocities for the same azimuth and inclination angle as for the ultrasonic experiments. We compare these two velocity profiles and discover a significant discrepancy in presence of large ice grains. However, with an increasing number of ice grains both methods provide similar results. Although the ultrasonic measurements reveal some ambiguities, these can be resolved when considering the information derived from the standard analysis.</p><p>We conclude that ultrasonic measurements along the ice core are suitable to support the established COF analysis for sufficiently small grains as found in polar cores. We recommend further exploration of the potential of the presented technique as it provides both the chance to obtain a continuous fabric profile and a direct link to large-scale seismic measurements in the vicinity of ice core drilling sites.</p>

scholarly journals Deep ice-core drilling at Dome Fuji and glaciological studies in east Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

1998 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 333-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dome-F Deep Coring Group
Keyword(s):  
Ice Core ◽  
Ice Sheet ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Dronning Maud Land ◽  
Tephra Layers ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Comprehensive Study

The Dome Fuji Project is a comprehensive study of present and past glaeiological/climatological features of the Antarctic ice sheet in east Dronning Maud Land. Field observations on a 100U km traverse route from the coast to Dome Fuji slum changes in various glaciological parameters with surface elevation and distance from the coast. Deep ice-core drilling at Dome Fuji was started in August 1995 and reached a depth of 2503.52 m in December 1996. in situ core analyses revealed 25 visible tephra layers and a number of distinct cloudy bands in the ice.

scholarly journals Drill fluid selection for the SUBGLACIOR probe: a review of silicone oil as a drill fluid

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (68) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Triest ◽  
O. Alemany
Keyword(s):  
Silicone Oil ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Environmental Evaluation ◽  
Core Drilling ◽  
Drill Fluid ◽  
Silicone Oils ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Analytical System ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractAs part of the ICE&LASER/SUBGLACIOR projects, an innovative probe called SUBGLACIOR is developed with the aim of perforating the ice sheet down to depths of 3500 m in a single season and continuously measuring in situ the isotopic composition of the meltwater and the methane concentration in trapped gases. Ice chips generated by the electromechanical drilling will be removed from the borehole by circulating a drill fluid. The selection of this drill fluid is important as it will have a major impact on the performance and the environmental evaluation. A literature review of drilling liquids is carried out to select potential fluids for further detailed testing. The selected fluids are varying grades of silicone oils, known as linear polydimethylsiloxanes, and ESTISOL™ 140, an aliphatic ester. The requirements for this project are similar to those for other deep ice-core drilling projects but, due to the embedded analytical system and the speed of drilling, there are some specific considerations. Following extensive testing, we conclude that a silicone fluid with a kinematic viscosity of 3 mm2 s−1 (3 cSt) is ideally suitable and affordable. This evaluation provides new insights into the use of silicone oils as a drill fluid that are of use to the wider ice-core drilling community.

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