Daily reports from the NGRIP-camp - week 30, 2003
Monday, July 21st
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| Daily life |
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| Science |
The last part of the core was processed. Surprisingly,
the ECM signal of the deepest meter of the core dropped to a level typical
for glacial conditions. Reasons for this drop are only speculations for the
moment, but the possibilties include: The termination of a cold event, that
the transition into Eem has been hit, that there is mixing with the basal
water, or that there is strong diffusion in the very warm ice at the bottom.
Further analyses will show.
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| Logistics |
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Tuesday, July 22nd
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| Daily life |
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| Science |
Today the drilling of yet another 100 m shallow
core was initiated. This time with the 'Hans Tavsen' drill (the big drill,
which was previously used for the deep drilling), so that a large 10 cm
diameter ice core is retrieved. Lately, there have been a number of requests
for more recent snow and ice, and this core is taken in order to ensure
enough samples. Today drilling went down to 18 m depth.
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| Logistics |
Camp is slowly being put into boxes. However,
it was decided to leave the cable and the winch in the drill trench in order
to have the opportunity of drilling through the refrozen basal water in
the bottom of the hole next year, if money allows.
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Wednesday, July 23rd
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| Daily life |
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| Science |
The new drilling has proceeded to 49.2 m depth.
The core is processed to 27 m depth.
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| Logistics |
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Thursday, July 24th
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| Daily life |
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| Science |
The shallow drilling reaches 70 m depth, then
a problem occurs in the electronics. The core processing continues to almost
60 m depth. The Icelandic Laki eruption in 1783 is expected for the
ECM signal tomorrow.
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| Logistics |
The cable to the old drill that was stuck i 1997
at 1370 m depth is given a pull. This year there is still access to the old
bore hole in the old drill trench, but next year the roof will most likely
hit the floor, so its the last chance. At first there was some excitement,
because it was easy to pull in several meters of the cable, but shortly after
it became clear that the old drill is still well stuck, and that the loose
cable is only due to the thinning of the deeper layers in the ice caused by
the normal ice flow.
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Friday, July 25th
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| Daily life |
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| Science |
The shallow drilling reaches 100.5 m depth and
is thereby terminated. The core is processed and packed.
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| Logistics |
The camp is mapped by GPS.
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Saturday, July 26th
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| Daily life |
Celebration of Saturday night no. 89 at NorthGRIP.
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| Science |
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| Logistics |
Packing-packing-packing. Everything is being
closed down.
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Sunday, July 27th
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| Daily life |
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| Science |
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| Logistics |
The large red utility dome, which has been up
at NorthGRIP since 1996, is now strapped down on a pallet ready for new adventures.
7 out of 10 pallets to be send out of camp during the week are ready to go.
New snow has fallen and the skiways get another grooming.
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Continue to Week 31
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