A possibility would be to continue the drilling next year with a thermal drill, which is suitable for drilling in warm ice. This would, however, require quite some logistics as a thermal drill requires a thicker cable with thicker wires, which again needs a stronger winch.

- Just the fact that the Eemian is NOT located at the expected depth is in itself an important result. This means that we have to revise our understanding of the Greenland inland ice. Is there possibly melting at the bottom of the ice? If yes, then how much, where, when, and why? Maybe there was not at all an ice cap at NorthGRIP during the Eemian? How could be so wrong, when we were almost certain to find the Eemian from the radar profiles of the internal layers within the ice?
- We have obtained an ice core with a unik time resolution during the last glaciol period. Even in the last piece of core that was retrieved, which is more than 100,000 years old, the annual layers are still approximately 1 cm thick. This gives the potential for a much better dating and exploration of the glacial period than possible from the existing ice cores.
- With respect to the drilling operation it was quite an achievement this year that it was possible to free a very well stuck drill and that is thereafter was possible to continue drilling. We have learned the lesson of just HOW difficult it is to drill with a mechanical drill when the ice is close to it?s melting point, and efficient techniques have been developed to free a stuck drill without seriously damaging the hole or the core. Experiences which surely will prove valuable in future drillings in Greenland or elsewhere.
- The drill that has been used at NorthGRIP is a development of existing drills which has proved extremely efficient. Although the drill is not suited for drilling in warm ice the ice core obtained the previous years is of an exceptionally high quality. When is went fast up to 200 meters of ice core were produced in a week, an outstanding drilling rate. The drill has been equipped and tested with a new electronics section and it is now shipped to Antarctica, where it will be used for the European EPICA deep drilling at Queen Maud Land.