Thursday 27th June 2024.

A poly pod snow camper, what is that?

Poly pod assembled. If the cabin is full it is still possible to get a ride on the roof.

Drilling is ongoing but struggling a bit with somewhat short runs. Not a problem for the S10 test core, but potentially an issue when deeper cores will be retrieved elsewhere. Different configurations of the drill head and cutters are being tested to see if the core length can be increased. The last runs of the day had a length of around 60 cm. After drilling we are following the density of the S10 core to follow the transition from snow through firn to ice. When the density passes some 800 kg/m3 there is no more contact between the atmosphere and the air in the firn (close-off zone) and when the density reaches 917 kg/m3 we are in glacier ice. So far, we have reached a density of 850 kg/m3 at 73 m depth, which according to experts is a high density for the depth compared to those of non-ice-stream sites. Sverrir continued the maintenance of all heavy vehicles in camp and Sepp continued the temperature logging of S3. Knut’s team set up another 5 km flag line south of camp, but stayed otherwise in camp and calibrated their equipment. Today the bolts for the poly pod were found hiding in the in the last box out of many and the poly pod got assembled.

What we did today:

1. Drilling in white tent. Logger’s depth: 73.37 m (7.29 m drilled)
2. Continued maintenance of heavy vehicles
3. Continued temperature logging of shallow hole S3
4. Set up another 5 km flag line for radar survey
5. Succeeded assembling the poly pod
6. Got the EGRIP database up to date

Weather today: A very sunny day with temperatures from -16 °C to -8 °C. Wind 4-12 kt from WNW turning SW.

FL, Anders Svensson

The density profile of the S10 core as function of depth.