Situation Report #17, 5. January 2020

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

Personnel: Saverio Panichi (ENEA), Michele Scalet (ENEA), Luc Piard (CNRS), Jakob Schwander (unibe), Thomas Stocker (unibe), Remo Walther (unibe), Massimo Frezzotti (U Roma 3), Riccardo Devescovi (Armi)

Weather: sunny, weak wind

In spite of Sunday, the large main door on the BELDC tent was finished. In total over 400 screws were used to attach the hull on the door frames and fix them with aluminum profiles. The material of the two sleeping tents and a recreation room was put in place. The floors of these are still at Dome C and they will be transported tomorrow to LDC.

At Radix the drilling depth at noon was 134.5 m with very good progress over 20 m, steady chip production and fluid recycling. Some adjustments were made to the fluid separator to ensure better transport along the separator screen. In the afternoon, the drill has become stuck and could not be pulled up. We have applied constant tension of 50 kg through the night and Radix is free again!

LDC, 5.1.2020