Drillers inserting casing tubes. The shape of the system is built for our picture format, albeit sideways…

We are ready to receive a plane tomorrow.

Tomorrow we expect a plane with more equipment, some spareparts, food and new people. Some will also leave the camp; but for the ones who stay, the rhythm of camp life will change as it normally does when new people arrive. We are also looking forward to new food supplies as we are out of fresh vegetables.

Our cook, has timed our food orders admirably precise. A couple of days before the next plane, we run out of fresh vegetables, and that is precisely as it should be: All vegetables from last plane are consumed, and nothing is wasted. The drillers finished casing the borehole today and the day of resuming ice core drilling is close. The issues with the electronic controls are being solved, step by step, and we feel confident that the issues will be solved.

What we did today:

1. Groomed apron and taxiways.
2. Work in the drilling trench. Casing of borehole complete.
3. Test of radar.
4. Working on drill electronics.
5. Raising the PROMICE weather station completed.
6. Shelf system in core buffer completed.
7. German snow sampling.
8. Japanese aerosol sampling and snow experiments in progress.
9. Water vapour sampling, methane sampling, boundary layer and meteorology station working.

Ad. 2 and 4: Drillers completed the casing operation. The process has been documented on camera. For the first time, the drillers also lowered a camera down the borehole for a live recording of the final sealing of the casing pipe against the borehole wall. The electronic packages of the drill are being repaired and checked by Jens Christian and Bruno.

Weather today: Sunshine most of the day, high thin overcast in the morning. Temp. -12°C to -21°C. Wind: 10 - 15 kt from WSW. Visibility: To horizon.

FL, J.P. Steffensen