May 18, 2018

Activity above and below

Left: Steff, Marius and Bent are unwinding the drill cable. Right: Sune in front of his patchwork wall. “It really ties the trench together”.

We have had really good working conditions today. We took advantage of the fine weather to clean up in the cargo line and excavate the wooden roof over the staircase to the drill trench and cast an extension of the stairwell to the present surface. In the drill trench, the drillers are unwinding the drill cable onto a cable drum so that the cable can be wound onto the winch drum with the correct tension. The last modifications are made to doorways and separation walls in science trench and core buffer. Our internet connection has been unstable, and Jens Christian is in intense communication with our internet provider.
The crew that arrived yesterday are already setting up equipment in the warm laboratories and in the science trench.

What we did today:

1. Excavating the last overwintering items in the cargo line.
2. Unwinding drill cable to pre-tension it on winch drum.
3. Built new separating wall around logger cabin to prevent air from drill trench to enter core buffer.
4. Radar from Basler packed down. Crew now ready to go to Kangerlussuaq.
5. Setting up equipment in isotope warm laboratory.
6. Setting up equipment for physical properties measurements.
7. Repairing Nansen sleds.
8. Routine generator maintenance.
9. Extended stairwell from drill trench to surface by casting snow using balloon technique.
10. Work on internet issues. Doppler radar ready.
11. Water vapour sampling and measuring.
12. Surface snow sampling.

Ad.6: The 2016 floor was 80 cm below surface. The floor was lifted clear, and will be placed on new surface tomorrow.

Weather: Fine day. Temp. -14°C to -26°C. Wind: 4 kt to 8 kt from W. Visibility: Unrestricted.

FL, J.P. Steffensen