Little Dome C - Beyond EPICA Drilling Site (75.29917 degS, 122.44516 degE)
Situation Report #13, 14. December 2021
Olivier Alemany with wide vision at Little Dome C. Photo: C. Barbante (Leica SL2-S, 90 mm, f18, 1/60, ISO 100) Credits: Barbante©PNRA/IPEV
Carlo documenting important work in the RADIX tent,...
Credits: Stocker©PNRA/IPEV
... while Jakob is drilling firn at 80 m depth.
Credits: Walther©PNRA/IPEV
Personnel @LDC: Saverio Panichi (ENEA, Camp Leader), Carlo Barbante (ISP-CNR, PI), Olivier Alemany (IGE), Giacomo Bonanno (ENEA), David Brunet (IPEV), Romain Duphil (IPEV), Matthias Hüther (AWI), Calogero Monaco (ENEA), Anthony Pauty (IPEV), Philippe Possenti (IPEV), Michele Scalet (ENEA), Jakob Schwander (unibe), Thomas Stocker (unibe), Remo Walther (unibe)
Personnel @DC: Gregory Teste (IGE)
Weather at LDC 8 pm: sunny
Meteo at DC 8 pm: T = −32°C, Wind = 10 knt, Wind Chill T = −45°C
The morning started still considerably windy with the EU flag flying. However, the BEOIC team was eager to be productive in spite of the still challenging conditions. At the reaming station in the BEOIC drilling tent step two of the reaming was completed. This leaves the top-most section of the reaming to be done tomorrow. Olivier and Matthias installed the electric motor of the main winch once it was carefully put in position in the tent using the Pistenbully crane by Michele. Matthias set power cables across the drilling tent floor. This was particularly difficult as parts of the floor needed to be opened. Also, a sturdy tripod was installed above the BEOIC bore hole in preparation of the lowering of the casing.
Today, Calogero and Saverio took off for Dome C together with Olivier Delanoe, to whom we bid farewell. Thank you, Olivier, for all your hard work, particularly during camp installation. On the return, they were accompanied by David Brunet who will spend a few days at LDC for carpentry work in the temporary ice storage.
BEOIC drilling depth at the end of the day: 128.0 m
In spite of strong winds this morning the RADIX team started to stretch the nylon tube with a clever device invented and constructed by Jakob. It consisted of a cable tube of 4 m length to which a powerful hot air blower was connected. At outside temperatures of about −30°C the nylon tube was passed through the heated inside and lost its material memory. Once the firn suction tube was straight, drilling could restart. It was a very productive day with a drilling depth of 83.5 m just before dinner time.
Radix drilling depth: 83.5 m
Thomas Stocker and Carlo Barbante