June 1, 2017

Processing is beginning – very slowly

Pictures of the new snow cave in camp. The future cooks freezer.

Today, the processing team got together and began processing. It was a really slow start, and only a few ice cores were processed. All experiments and saws had to be adjusted and calibrated. Tomorrow, the speed should go up. Our carpenter is beginning to move the shelf system from the present cooks freezer, which is going to be ice core storage, to the new snow cave. Sverrir, our mechanic has been welding today as he is modifying the groomer we use to prepare the skiway. We will have a flight on 9th June, so we will have to groom the skiway soon. Sarah, our cook, has been preparing food orders for the upcoming flight.

What we did today:

1. Processing of the first ice core sections.
2. Repairing and modifying groomer for skiway.
3. Drilling in two shifts. 12.77 m drilled today until 19.00.
4. Two shift logging of ice cores. Logging depth 244.77 m.
5. German snow sampling.
6. Japanese aerosol sampling and snow experiments.
7. Water vapour sampling, methane sampling, boundary layer and meteorology station working.

Ad.3: The drillers still work intensely on finding the proper routine in running the new drill fluid recovery system.

Weather today: Sunshine. Overcast and slight snow for few hours late afternoon. Temp. -9°C to -24°C. Wind: 5-10 kt from SW and S. Visibility: To horizon.

FL, J.P. Steffensen