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

Situation Report #28, 29. December 2021

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)

Personnel @DC: Gregory Teste (IGE)

Weather at LDC: sunny, low wind – pleasant day

Meteo at DC 6 pm: T = −32°C, Wind = 5 knt, Wind Chill T = −41°C

A crucial element to the drilling tent was “added” today by Matthias, Olivier, Romain and Carlo. They cut open the canvas along the 8x1.5 m frame at the top of the tent. This opening will be needed to pass the BEOIC drilling tower when it is in drilling position. Work was carried out aloft on a scaffolding. The opening was covered again by a special cover which will be tied at both sides of the drilling tent. Also, several heavy segments of the drilling tower were attached to the tilting mechanism of the drill.

At RADIX we are dealing with a stuck drill which we put under tension. Remo has assembled a second antitorque, as we have identified partially insufficient restraint in the past few runs. We hope that tomorrow the drill will be free allowing us to implement the adjustments that we have devised today.

Radix drilling depth: 250.0 m

Thomas Stocker and Carlo Barbante