June 10, 2019

High-speed drilling and a birthday in-absentia

NEEM 2009: Camp crew at Sepp’s birthday celebration.

The deep drill appears now to be in a good configuration that allows for faster drilling with 24.1 m ice core logged today. Dead weights have been mounted in the drill for faster decent and the drill penetration is fast. So, fingers crossed, with continued filtering during the night, 2000 m depth should be reached within a week.
During the 2019 field season, we have more than 100 persons taking part in the EGRIP project for shorter or longer periods. Some are here for the first time, others have been here before, and a few have been on the ice so many times that nobody remembers. One of those persons is our Bavarian friend and colleague from AWI, Bremerhaven, Sepp Kipfstuhl, who has joined both Greenland and Antarctic ice core projects for many, many seasons. Very often Sepp would spend the 10th of June in Greenland with us. We remember this because today is Sepp’s birthday. So, even if you managed to escape early this season, we will still need to congratulate you today Sepp! This year, however, you will have to do with a few highlights from previous years, where many of your polar friends have been present. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

What we did today:

1. Drilling speed has increased and 6 long cores were retrieved today.
2. Ice core logging depth: 1897.10 m (length: 24.1 m).
3. Station for atmospheric moisture sampling and isotopic measurement is active.
4. The isotope CFA laboratory bag 2997 to bag 3029 (length 17.60 m).
5. MAGPIE set up one station at 50 km NE of EGRIP.
6. Clearing entrance to cooks freezer.

EGRIP population is 24. EGRIP average age is 37 years.

Weather: Mostly overcast, warm and calm. Temp. -8°C to -14°C. Wind: 0 kt to 8 kt from W.

FL, Anders Svensson

NEEM 2011: The Sepp birthday parade. Sepp is sitting to the right on the couch wearing a crown and a broom scepter.

EGRIP 2017: Sepp is receiving an ice-crystal tie on his 65th year’s birthday.