scholarly journals Developing a hot-water drill system for the WISSARD project: 1. Basic drill system components and design

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (68) ◽  
pp. 285-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R. Rack ◽  
Dennis Duling ◽  
Daren Blythe ◽  
Justin Burnett ◽  
Dar Gibson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Water ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Initial Field ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Basal Ice ◽  
Science Management ◽  
Field Season ◽  
University Of Nebraska Lincoln ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans ◽  
Drill System

AbstractA new, clean, hot-water drill system (HWDS) was developed by the Science Management Office, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for use in the Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project to gain access to Subglacial Lake Whillans beneath ∼800 m of ice in West Antarctica. One primary borehole was drilled into the basal ice environment of Subglacial Lake Whillans during the initial field season in 2012/13. This paper describes the process of designing, fabricating, assembling, shipping, testing, commissioning and traversing the WISSARD HWDS leading up to the first scientific use of the system.

scholarly journals Enabling clean access into Subglacial Lake Whillans: development and use of the WISSARD hot water drill system

2016 ◽  
Vol 374 (2059) ◽  
pp. 20140305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R. Rack
Keyword(s):  
Hot Water ◽  
Ice Shelf ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Science Management ◽  
University Of Nebraska Lincoln ◽  
Subglacial Lakes ◽  
The University ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans

Clean hot water drill systems (CHWDSs) are used with clean access protocols for the exploration of subglacial lakes and other subglacial aquatic environments (e.g. ice-shelf cavities) in Antarctica. A CHWDS developed for the Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project by the Science Management Office at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL-SMO), USA, was specifically designed for use in West Antarctica, where the US Antarctic Program's South Pole Traverse could assist with logistical support. The initial goal was to provide clean access holes through ice up to 1000 m thick following environmental stewardship guidelines; however, the existing design allows this CHWDS to be used for ice thicknesses up to 2000 m following modifications to accommodate longer hose lengths. In January 2013, the WISSARD CHWDS successfully provided for the first time a clean access borehole through 800 m of ice into Subglacial Lake Whillans beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet for the deployment of scientific instruments and sampling tools. The development and initial use of the WISSARD CHWDS required the project team to address a number of constraints while providing contingencies to meet the defined project scope, schedule and budget.

scholarly journals Probe technologies for clean sampling and measurement of subglacial lakes

2016 ◽  
Vol 374 (2059) ◽  
pp. 20150267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Mowlem ◽  
Kevin Saw ◽  
Robin Brown ◽  
Edward Waugh ◽  
Christopher L. Cardwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Lake Vostok ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Field Season ◽  
Electrical Conducting ◽  
Subglacial Lakes ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans ◽  
Negatively Buoyant ◽  
Sediment Corer

It is 4 years since the subglacial lake community published its plans for accessing, sampling, measuring and studying the pristine, and hitherto enigmatic and very different, Antarctic subglacial lakes, Vostok, Whillans and Ellsworth. This paper summarizes the contrasting probe technologies designed for each of these subglacial environments and briefly updates how these designs changed or were used differently when compared to previously published plans. A detailed update on the final engineering design and technical aspects of the probe for Subglacial Lake Ellsworth is presented. This probe is designed for clean access, is negatively buoyant (350 kg), 5.2 m long, 200 mm in diameter, approximately cylindrical and consists of five major units: (i) an upper power and communications unit attached to an optical and electrical conducting tether, (ii)–(iv) three water and particle samplers, and (v) a sensors, imaging and instrumentation pack tipped with a miniature sediment corer. To date, only in Subglacial Lake Whillans have instruments been successfully deployed. Probe technologies for Subglacial Lake Vostok (2014/15) and Lake Ellsworth (2012/13) were not deployed for technical reasons, in the case of Lake Ellsworth because hot-water drilling was unable to access the lake during the field season window. Lessons learned and opportunities for probe technologies in future subglacial access missions are discussed.

scholarly journals An assessment of deep hot-water drilling as a means to undertake direct measurement and sampling of Antarctic subglacial lakes: experience and lessons learned from the Lake Ellsworth field season 2012/13

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (65) ◽  
pp. 59-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin J. Siegert ◽  
Keith Makinson ◽  
David Blake ◽  
Matt Mowlem ◽  
Neil Ross
Keyword(s):  
Direct Measurement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Future Research ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Subglacial Environment ◽  
Field Season ◽  
Subglacial Lakes ◽  
The Uk

AbstractIn the early hours of 25 December 2012, an attempt to explore Subglacial Lake Ellsworth, West Antarctica, using a specially designed hot-water drill, was halted. This UK project, involving several universities, the British Antarctic Survey and the National Oceanography Centre, had been in planning for 10 years. The project developed a full blueprint for subglacial lakes research, involving access to the subglacial environment through deep drilling, direct measurement and sampling of water and sediment by the construction of a probe and sediment corer, and environmental protocols to ensure cleanliness in line with international agreements on stewardship and protection of subglacial systems. Drilling was ceased after the main borehole failed to link with a subsurface cavity of water, built up over ∽40 hours. Without this link, insufficient water was available to continue drilling downwards to the lake, ∽3000 m beneath the surface. On return to the UK, an external review of the programme was undertaken to formally assess the reasons for the fieldwork failure, and to make recommendations on the modifications necessary for success. From this review, the Lake Ellsworth programme formulated a pathway along which a second attempt to explore the lake can be developed. Here details of the Lake Ellsworth field experiment, the circumstances that led to its failure and the corrections required are presented. Hot-water drilling is still regarded as the only feasible scheme for assuring clean access to the subglacial environment. The lessons learned from the Lake Ellsworth experience are substantial, however, and demonstrate that considerable technological and methodological advances are necessary for successful future research on subglacial lakes beneath thick (>2 km) ice.

scholarly journals WISSARD at Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica: scientific operations and initial observations

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 (65) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slawek Tulaczyk ◽  
Jill A. Mikucki ◽  
Matthew R. Siegfried ◽  
John C. Priscu ◽  
C. Grace Barcheck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Water ◽  
Freezing Point ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Lake Bottom ◽  
Filtration Unit ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans

AbstractA clean hot-water drill was used to gain access to Subglacial Lake Whillans (SLW) in late January 2013 as part of the Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project. Over 3 days, we deployed an array of scientific tools through the SLW borehole: a downhole camera, a conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) probe, a Niskin water sampler, an in situ filtration unit, three different sediment corers, a geothermal probe and a geophysical sensor string. Our observations confirm the existence of a subglacial water reservoir whose presence was previously inferred from satellite altimetry and surface geophysics. Subglacial water is about two orders of magnitude less saline than sea water (0.37–0.41 psu vs 35 psu) and two orders of magnitude more saline than pure drill meltwater (<0.002 psu). It reaches a minimum temperature of –0.55~C, consistent with depression of the freezing point by 7.019 MPa of water pressure. Subglacial water was turbid and remained turbid following filtration through 0.45 µm filters. The recovered sediment cores, which sampled down to 0.8 m below the lake bottom, contained a macroscopically structureless diamicton with shear strength between 2 and 6 kPa. Our main operational recommendation for future subglacial access through water-filled boreholes is to supply enough heat to the top of the borehole to keep it from freezing.

scholarly journals Solute sources and geochemical processes in Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica

Geology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 347-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander B. Michaud ◽  
Mark L. Skidmore ◽  
Andrew C. Mitchell ◽  
Trista J. Vick-Majors ◽  
Carlo Barbante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Geochemical Processes ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans

scholarly journals Development of a clean hot water drill to access Subglacial Lake CECs, West Antarctica

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Keith Makinson ◽  
Paul G. D. Anker ◽  
Jonathan Garcés ◽  
David J. Goodger ◽  
Scott Polfrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
West Antarctic Ice Sheet ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Subglacial Environment ◽  
West Antarctic ◽  
Scientific Exploration ◽  
Additional Water ◽  
Antarctic Research

Abstract Recent drilling successes on Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica demonstrate the viability of hot water drilling subglacial access holes to depths >2000 m. Having techniques to access deep subglacial environments reliably paves the way for subglacial lake exploration beneath the thick central West Antarctic Ice Sheet. An ideal candidate lake, overlain by ~2650 m of ice, identified by Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECs), Chile, has led to collaboration with British Antarctic Survey to access Subglacial Lake CECs (SLCECs). To conform with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research code of conduct, which provides a guide to responsible scientific exploration and stewardship of these pristine systems, any access drilling must minimise all aspects of contamination and disturbance of the subglacial environment. To meet these challenges, along with thicker ice and 2000 m elevation, pumping and water treatment systems developed for the Subglacial Lake Ellsworth project, together with new diesel generators, additional water heating and longer drill hose, are currently being integrated with the BEAMISH hot water drill. A dedicated test season near SLCECs will commission the new clean hot water drill, with testing and validation of all clean operating procedures. A subsequent season will then access SLCECs cleanly.

scholarly journals Microbial Community Structure of Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda M. Achberger ◽  
Brent C. Christner ◽  
Alexander B. Michaud ◽  
John C. Priscu ◽  
Mark L. Skidmore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans

scholarly journals The BEAMISH hot water drill system and its use on the Rutford Ice Stream, Antarctica

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Paul G. D. Anker ◽  
Keith Makinson ◽  
Keith W. Nicholls ◽  
Andrew M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Subglacial Environment ◽  
Access Hole ◽  
Ice Stream ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Water Recirculation ◽  
Field Season ◽  
Drill System

Abstract During the 2018/19 Antarctic field season, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Basal conditions on Rutford Ice Stream: BEd Access, Monitoring and Ice Sheet History’ (BEAMISH) project drilled three holes through the Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica. At up to 2154 m, these are the deepest hot water drilled subglacial access holes yet created, enabling the recovery of sediment from the subglacial environment, and instrumenting the ice stream and its bed. The BEAMISH hot-water drill system was built on extensive experience with the BAS ice shelf hot-water drill and utilises many identical components. With up to 1 MW of heating power available, the hot water drill produces 140 L min−1 of water at 85°C to create a 300 mm diameter access hole to the base of the ice stream. New systems and processes were developed for BEAMISH to aid critical aspects of deep access drilling, most notably the creation of cavities interlinking boreholes at 230 m below the surface and enabling water recirculation throughout the deep drilling operations. The modular design of the BEAMISH drill offers many benefits in its adaptability, redundancy, and minimal logistical footprint. These design features can easily accommodate the modifications needed for future deep, clean access hole creation in the exploration of subglacial environments.

scholarly journals Physical processes in Subglacial Lake Whillans, West Antarctica: Inferences from sediment cores

2016 ◽  
Vol 444 ◽  
pp. 56-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.O. Hodson ◽  
R.D. Powell ◽  
S.A. Brachfeld ◽  
S. Tulaczyk ◽  
R.P. Scherer
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Cores ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Subglacial Lake Whillans

scholarly journals Subglacial Lake CECs: Discovery and in situ survey of a privileged research site in West Antarctica

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (10) ◽  
pp. 3944-3953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Rivera ◽  
José Uribe ◽  
Rodrigo Zamora ◽  
Jonathan Oberreuter
Keyword(s):  
West Antarctica ◽  
Subglacial Lake ◽  
Research Site
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