Drillers Dennis and Sune push the core barrel containing ice core into the extraction freezer (left), where Lydia and Emilie wait to receive it. The bottom of the ice core is visible in the barrel (middle). Sune is then pushing the core out of the core barrel into a tray (right). – Or is he baking a pizza?

Theme of the day: Ice core drilling.

Drillers and loggers are now working in two shifts, each 3 persons and 2 persons. The total drilling time is from 08.00 to midnight. With an ice core production of nearly 20 m today, we are getting close to the expected production rate. There are a few details to be worked out, and new drillers to train; but still the result is satisfactory. The science trench is almost ready; but our HEMA band saws do not start, and Bruno is on the problem. Life is easy for people working on the surface as weather continues to be nice to us. Nicolai, our carpenter, is buzzing here and there, and today he yelled: “There are so many projects and so many things to do – life is wonderful”.

What we did today:


1. Mounting lamps and distribution panels in trenches.
2. Drilling in two shifts.  19.47 m drilled today until 19.00.
3. Two shift logging of ice cores. Logging depth 187.34 m.
4. Working on infrastructure in science trench. Troubleshooting the HEMA saws.
5. Ventilation system in drill trench mounted.
6. The science trench has been re-wired.
7. Balloons for new cook’s freezer cave are inflated and buried.
8. German snow sampling.
9. Japanese aerosol sampling and snow experiments.
10. Water vapour sampling, methane sampling, boundary layer and meteorology station working.

Ad.2: Since drilling began one week ago, 69.84 m of core has been drilled.

Weather today: Sunshine. Temp. - 11 °C to - 22 °C.  Wind: 5 - 10 kt from SW. Visibility: To horizon.

 FL, J.P. Steffensen

Drill trench viewed from the entrance end with the winch in the foreground and electrical installations to the right. The drillers are tilting the tower to extract the ice core. Drillers control cabin to the right of the tower. Drillers workshop in the background.

Drill trench viewed from behind with core extraction freezer to the right and the fluid recovery station to the left. Behind the fluid recovery station is the drillers control cabin.