Daily reports from the NGRIP-camp - week 33, 2004
Monday, August 9
|
| Daily life |
In the evening, people in camp went for a last visit down
in the old snow caves where more than 5 km ice core have been treated in the
last 8 years. People were carrying flash lights.
|
| Science |
|
| Logistics |
And so it happened. Everything has now been removed from
the drill trench, the old drill trench and the science trench. The light was
switched off today and electrical installations were removed. In the old
drill trench, the cable to the drill that got stuck in 1997 and still sits
at 1370 m depth, was cut, and the cable disappeared in the depths of the
hole - good bye drill. The skiway has been groomed, and more cargo has been
packed.
|
Tuesday, August 10
|
| Daily life |
The heavy vehicle drivers were put on a test today. It was
checked whether all vehicles could fit into the white storage tent at one
time in practice. It is the intention to put all vehicles in depot here until
our German colleagues return and dig out their traverse train. The vehicles
did fit!!
|
| Science |
All time is devoted to packing
|
| Logistics |
Now back filling of the drill trench is in progress through
the opening in the trench roof. Another team has been busy packing equipment
into boxes and putting them on pallets for the aircraft. It has become
warmer again, between -6 and -10 C.
|
Wednesday, August 11
|
| Daily life |
Today at 11 o'clock camp called Kangerlussuaq for a weather
forecast. Weather was bad in camp: Overcast, snow, wind at 10 m/s and visibility
of 400m. The poor sods that were trying to back fill the drill trench with
the snow thrower were having a hard time hitting the hole. The wind simply
made sure they missed. Air pressure today hit the highest we've had on record
during our 8 seasons here: 718 hPa, or converted to sea level: 1032.1 hPa.
During the afternoon weather became more collaborative.
|
| Science |
|
| Logistics |
The garage is now almost empty. If weather behaves, it will
be taken down tomorrow. If the weather misbehaves people will wait; but now
it is important for next weeks flights out of camp that weather stays in
the calm end. Every time snow is blowing, someone has to groom the skiway,
again and again and again. Patience is called for.
|
Thursday, August 12
|
| Daily life |
The packing down of camp is still hampered by bad weather:
Visibility 500 m. Overcast and 10 m/s wind.
|
| Science |
|
| Logistics |
Now packing in the main Dome is in progress. The last items
from the garage have been packed or removed. Backfilling with snow in the
drill trench continues.
|
Friday, August 13
|
| Daily life |
Today the garage was taken down. Just before taking it down
there was time for the crew to have a dance of Lanciers in the empty spacious
garage. The taking down occurred in 8-10 m/s winds with blowing snow. Visibility
is still poor: 300 m. Temperatures between -8 and -11 C. Again, there is
one building less in NGRIP camp.
|
| Science |
|
| Logistics |
Now the casing pipe on the deep borehole is extended to 2
m above the snow surface, and the last snow has been filled in between the
two roofs of the drill trench. The food supply in cooks freezer has been documented.
In spite of the bad weather grooming of the skiway had to be started today.
The planes arrive soon, so people cannot wait any longer. We just hope weather
will improve soon, so that we don't have to move so much snow, and so that
one can see while grooming the skiway.
|
Saturday, August 14
|
| Daily life |
This was the very last Saturday evening at NGRIP (hopefully).
During the day weather finally improved. In the evening there was blue sky,
almost no wind and -23 C. People saw the sun again and at midnight there was
a bonfire celebration with champagne and fire baked bread on the snow. People
watched the Sun set below the horizon at 0045, and afterwards there was Lanciers
dancing in the main Dome until early morning.
|
| Science |
|
| Logistics |
The liquid level of the deep borehole was adjusted a final
time. The final casing pipe was mounted and closed with a cap. The casing
now points 5 m up above the snow surface, so that we in many years from now
may have access to the borehole with borehole measuring devices. The skiway
was groomed, and everything in the white storage tent was documented. The
positions of the main Dome, the sledges with depot material and the bore hole
were measured with GPS.
|
Sunday, August 15
|
| Daily life |
Packing is in full swing. Telex messages are passed back
and forth between Camp and the office in Kangerlussuaq to coordinate next
weeks flights. Boxes are being packed, contents documented, boxes are weighed
and placed on aircraft pallets.
|
| Science |
|
| Logistics |
Weather has improved. The entrance to the old drill trench
has been re-opened to get to the boxes with ice cores, which have been pakked
here. A lot of work has been put into grooming the skiway so it is ready
to receive planes.
|
Continue to Week 34
|
