 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Daily reports from the NGRIP-camp - week 23 year 2000
Monday, June 5th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| Today we reached a temperature of -9C! |
| Science |
| Drilling is proceeding in a good mode, although a broken pump had to be changed. Even when drilling is going fine small adjustment and repairs always have to be fixed on the way. |
| Logistics |
Tuesday, June 6th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| It's time to remove the snow, that during winter has plied up around
the buildings - see the picture of the Main
Dome being opened in the archive -
The past four summers on the ice has started with heavy "spring-stormes", which blew all removed snow back around the buildings. So this year we waited with removing the snow, and this year there has not been one spring storm ! Soon it will be time for some of the people on the ice to leave the camp and return home. So preparations for the departure and the arrival of camp members and fresh supplies has started. The skiway is being groomed, so the airplane can land and takeoff safely. |
| Science |
| Today a pit was dug for a seismometer. The pit was 1.8 meter deep and
was dug twice - why ? Because somebody had forgot to start the seismometer
before closing the pit with snow. One may say : There was heavy "snow
digging training" in camp today.
In the drill trench there was a special event today : 2000 meter was reached with the drill. At 9:32 p.m. the core containing the 2000 m deep ice surfaced and it was time for a celebration. Everyone was in the drill trench to see the special ice being drilled and brought to surface. This is a tradition, when a special piece of ice is drilled and brought to surface, everyone in the camp (even the cook sometimes postpone dinner so she also can be in the drill trench for some special events) who can leave their work, comes to the drill trench to see the special ice surface. This always calls for a celebration, and the special ice can be ice containing a Vulcan, a transition (between warm and come climate) or a special depth, like 2000 meters ! |
|
Logistics |
Wednesday, June 7th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| Just other day with removal of snow around the buildings - today it was the Utility Dome, around which the snow was removed. |
| Science |
| Today the processing in the science trench worked nicely, and the science trench team is really working hard. At the beginning of the season, they started about 400 m behind, due to ice from last year, which had not been processed. Now they are only about 300 meters behind the drillers. The CFA is also melting its way though the long ice sticks prepared for this measurement. They are a little behind the rest of the science trench, but they also got started later. |
| Logistics |
| There was no radio contract between the FOMs in Kangerlussuaq and the camp at 6:45 p.m. - there was only noise to be heard at the camp radio !!! |
Thursday, June 8th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| Today has just been the most beautiful day on the ice, sun shinning
from a blue sky, daily max. of -6 C, and absolute no wind ! So the people
in the science trench decided to enjoy the sun! They stopped processing
the core after 30 meters, and spend the rest of the day in the sun. This
was a pleasant break from the cold and dark (compared to the surface) science
trench. See the picture from a similar day in
1996.
Today flags along the new skiway was erected. The flags are used by the pilots as guidelines for landing. There is still a lot of snow, which needs to be moved away from the buildings, so that work continues. |
| Science |
| The drilling went well today. The drillers have however discovered that the inclination of the bore hole has increase a tiny bit. Therefore extra attention is being put on the inclination of the bore hole. It is important for the processing, that the ice core is drilled as vertical as possible. A little inclination of the bore hole is inevitable. |
| Logistics |
Friday, June 9th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| There is still a lot of snow to be shoveled in the camp. Unfortunately
one af the tracked vehicles has problems with its brakes - this is a job
for the field mechanic.
The daily max. temperature : -10C |
| Science |
| In the Science trench the work on ice drilled this year has started.
The drillers have started drill the last of four well known warm periods from the last Ikea. The four are known as the big brother and the three little sisters, and it is the big brother, that they have started to drill - they judge this from the cloudy bands visible in the ice core. The cloudy bands are layers of ice, which are white and not clear, hence the name "cloudy bands". The whiteness of the ice is cased by very tiny air bubbles in the ice. The drill has not been working so well today - but the small problems have all been overcome. |
| Logistics |
Saturday, June 10th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| Party day! Today the cook has cooked a wonderful meal and everyone
has taken a shower, and the drilling stopped at 4 p.m. so all the drillers
could eat with rest of the camp members. Tonight the dress code is : dress
or skirt for women and tie for men.
The Kaesbohrer has been repaired. The cook has sent her shopping list : mayonnaise, remoulade, and 5 kg Palmin - it's not diet food one eats in the camp. Daily max. temperature :-12C |
| Science |
| The processing has had to be slowed down today, they are running out of foam boxes and stables. Luckily there will be a plane next week - bringing supplies. |
| Logistics |
| Next plane will take-off from the camp in the evening, due to too high temperatures during the day! |
Sunday, June 11th |
|---|
| Daily life |
| The nice summer weather persists - another day with blue sky and no wind. |
| Science |
| Drilling only started a little later than usually today, after yesterday's party. Drilling normally goes on between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m., and the small "shoulders" on the drill curve are mostly due to the shorter working hours on saturdays. The CFA (the continuous chemistry measurement) has had to shift their measurement sensitivity for the dust measurement, since they are now measuring glacial ice with a very high dust content. Things are going so well in the science trench that more people have been transferred to the CFA, which is now running 24 hours a day. The CFA is slower than some of the other measurements, and since it was only installed this year there is still a lot to catch up on. |
| Logistics |
Read more about Week 24
| Main page | Diary | Pictures | About us | Ice cores | Links |