Little Dome C - Beyond EPICA Drilling Site (75.29917 degS, 122.44516 degE)

Personnel @LDC: Saverio Panichi (ENEA, Camp Leader), Carlo Barbante (ISP-CNR, PI), Olivier Alemany (IGE), Romain Duphil (IGE), Matthias Hüther (AWI), Calogero Monaco (ENEA), Philippe Possenti (IGE), Michele Scalet (ENEA), Jakob Schwander (unibe), Thomas Stocker (unibe), Remo Walther (unibe)

Weather at LDC: sunny, wind, afternoon covered, quite cold

Meteo at DC 6 pm: T = −40°C, Wind = 10 knt, Wind Chill T = −55°C

Today the BEOIC drill was lowered into the hole. Many functions were tested such as movement of the tower, the positioning of the drill, and the functioning of the winch. Some problems in the electronics still persist. We have also slowly started with camp cleaning and collecting material to be retrograded to Dome C.

At RADIX, we have not made further progress in spite of some further reaming. Several times small ice particles have again blocked the motor. Every instance requires hauling up the device from ca. 270 meters to the surface, cleaning, declogging and lower it down again. This is a time-consuming process.

RADIX drilling depth: 300.0 m

Thomas Stocker and Carlo Barbante