A volcanic glass particle (tephra) possibly from the 10,350 year old Saksunarvatn eruption. Identified in the microscope by Eliza. The particle is a few tens of microns across.

Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th June

Saturday night Valerie gave us an impressive demonstration of Dome-acrobatics. Mori, Romain, Emilie, and Trevor had prepared a delicious French-Japanese meal that we all enjoyed with the last beer in camp. Afterwards, there was a party including a swing-dance lesson and performance by Nicholas and Valerie. Later, and also very much later, there was still dancing in the Dome, mainly by the younger segment of camp population. Sunday at noon Skier 91 landed and camp received much needed fuel, drill liquid, mogas, propane, and beer kegs. The skier was on ground for about an hour and left with a pallet of ice core boxes and another pallet of firn gas samples and equipment. The 8-blade propeller took off ‘easily’ using only half the skiway in first attempt. The skiway appears to be in very good condition, thanks to long working hours of Chris. We also said goodbye to Thomas B. and Thomas R. as the firn gas program has terminated, except for the drilling that is still ongoing. In the science trench a first horizontal Swiss saw cut was made in ice at 1140.70 m depth (bag 2075-2077). Surprisingly, ice at this depth is not brittle at all and the cut did not introduce any breaks. So it appears safe to restart the science trench processing from this depth.

What we did Saturday and Sunday:

1. Deep drilling 25.98 m. Drillers’ depth 1223.89 m. Loggers depth 1232.61 m
2. Shallow drilling at firn gas site to 117 m depth
3. DEP measurement of main core 979.00-1005.40 m depth
4. Measurements in isotope laboratory, final depth: 730.95 m
5. Data analysis in physical properties laboratory.
6. Water vapour sampling and measuring.
7. Building ice core box and firn gas pallets
8. Receiving Skier 91 Sunday at noon
9. Opening trench lift for ice core box shipment
10. Checking and repairing skiway flags

Weather: Saturday little ground fog in the morning, then blue sky until 4 pm, then cloud cover at 5000 feet. Sunday morning blue sky, but during the morning becoming overcast at 1800 feet. Temp. -8 °C to -16 °C. Wind: up to 10 kt, but periods of no wind. Wind mainly from E.
Visibility, horizon, and surface definition variable. Sunday night overcast, cloud base at 1700 feet, no horizon, no contrast. Light snowfall.

FL, Anders Svensson

Matthias busy with several copies of the EGRIP drill electronics

Alexandra giving a tour of the vapour sampling tent