Byrd Station drilling 1966-69

Author: Ueda, Herbert T.

Source: Annals of Glaciology, Volume 47, Number 1, December 2007 , pp. 24-27(4)

Publisher: International Glaciological Society

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Abstract:

After completion of the drilling by the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (USA-CRREL) at Camp Century, Greenland, in July 1966, the operation was moved to Byrd Station, Antarctica, during the 1966/67 austral summer. The drill employed was an electromechanical cable-suspended drill that used ethylene glycol to dissolve the chips formed, producing a core with an average diameter of 114 mm. A mixture of diesel oil and trichlorethylene was used as a borehole fluid. Ice-core drilling at Byrd Station occurred from 2 to 18 February 1967 and from 12 October 1967 to 2 February 1968 when the ice sheet was penetrated at a depth of 2164 m. During the ensuing 1968/69 season the drill was lost, and ultimately the cable was severed in early 1969/70 at a depth of 1545 m. This brief report reviews the drilling operation and some of the problems encountered primarily during the 1967/68 season, with a focus on the last few days of drilling.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.3189/172756407786857631

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