A great week of progress for COLDEX teams
Week of 12/5/22
By Peter Neff
COLDEX projects have made steady progress this week.
I-165: After putting in on Dec. 1 and 2, the I-165 Allan Hills ice coring team got their entire camp assembled in fair weather before persistent winds set in this week. The team had two days of light work due to high winds, including some rest after long days establishing camp. The US Ice Drilling Program Blue Ice Drill (BID) winch and tower were assembled late on Dec. 7 but the protective tent could not be set up due to high winds. The team now is maintaining camp after many days of snow drift, and anticipating a weather break late Dec. 10 that should allow completion of BID set up. The team will also push to fully erect the Foro drill before high winds resume.
I-188: Allan Hills ground-based geophysics team I-188 completed their field preparation, and began ferrying cargo to the Allan Hills on Dec. 8. Four snow machines and other cargo were brought to the I-165 camp by Basler (Peter N and Joe K left camp on this flight). The I-188 team then brought additional cargo to their Allan Hills location Dec. 9 (2x Twin Otter loads). The entire team put-in to this location Dec. 10. As they receive all their cargo, they will also hop over to the I-165 camp to retrieve their snow machines and cargo (as time and weather allow). Additionally, I-188 has been approved for Twin Otter travel between Allan Hills and Elephant Moraine, avoiding the resources, time, and risk required for a ground traverse (and considering experienced guide Mike Roberts’ inability to join the team).
I-185: The airborne geophysics team have equipped Kenn Borek Basler MKB with radar, gravimeter, and magnetometer instrumentation and conducted their first test flight on Dec. 10. There is a delay in the arrival of the Kansas radar system which will preclude integrating this instrument into the airborne platform until after initial arrival at South Pole Station, but they have a path forward to still get all instruments online for the majority of survey flights.
John-Morgan Manos, Margot Shaya, and Annika Horlings as they board a Kenn Borek Twin Otter to join Twit Conway and Tyler Beineman at Allan Hills I-188 camp. Dec. 10, 2022. P. Neff photo.
Gonzalo Echeverry, Jamin Greenbaum, and Dillon Buhl hard at work installing UTIG instruments inside Kenn Borek Basler MKB at Williams Field, Antarctica. Dec. 9, 2022. P. Neff photo.
Kenn Borek Basler MKB as it heads out on its first COLDEX airborne geophysics test flight with UTIG researchers and equipment onboard. December 10, 2022. P. Neff photo.
Megan Kerr and Duncan Young enjoying the sun as MKB departs Williams Field, Antarctica for its first test flight. Dec. 10, 2022. P. Neff photo.
