30 September 2019 to 3 October 2019
The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
Europe/Copenhagen timezone

Shallow depth lightweight ice coring: progress and new developments.

3 Oct 2019, 09:00
20m
The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters H.C. Andersens Boulevard 35 DK-1553 Copenhagen V Denmark
Oral Session 6

Speaker

Dr Victor Zagorodnov (Cryosphere Research Solutions LLC, Columbus, OH, USA)

Description

Since 1975 about dozen of dry hole electromechanical (EM) ice coring drills were developed. Most of the drills were used in polar regions and a few in polar and high altitude glaciers ice coring operations. Main differences between ice coring operations in polar regions and in high altitude glaciers are: logistics, air and ice temperatures, particles concentration in ice and physical capacities of the drilling team. Therefore, the major requirements for drilling equipment for operations at high altitude are lightweight, low power and high ice core production rate (ICPR).
About 5500 m of ice cores were obtained with the EM drill developed at Byrd Polar Climate Research Center at the Ohio State University. The drill demonstrate capability to reach 310 m depth in dry borehole at average 4.8 m/h production drilling rate. The drill was successfully used in polar and temperate glaciers.
The next development step is the Ultralight ice coring system (ULICS) for most logistically difficult operations in high altitude glaciers. ULICS weight less than 30 kg including power source and capable to reach 200 m depth. It includes thermal (42 mm core) and dry hole EM drills (75 mm core).

Primary author

Dr Victor Zagorodnov (Cryosphere Research Solutions LLC, Columbus, OH, USA)

Co-authors

Lonnie G. Thompson (Ohio State University, Columbus OH, USA) Vladimir Mikhalenko (Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia) Stanislav Kutuzov (Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia)

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