Deep ice-core drilling performance and experience at NEEM, Greenland

TY - JOUR

T1 - Deep ice-core drilling performance and experience at NEEM, Greenland

AU - Popp, Trevor J.

AU - Hansen, Steffen B.

AU - Sheldon, Simon G.

AU - Panton, Christian

PY - 2014/12/1

Y1 - 2014/12/1

N2 - The NEEM deep ice-core drilling in northwest Greenland was completed in summer 2010 after three seasons, which included establishing all drilling infrastructure. Normal drilling operations in the main borehole were declared terminated at 2537.36m below the surface, when further penetration was stopped by a stone embedded in the ice in the path of the drill head. The design and implementation of the drilling operation strongly resembled the NGRIP drilling program. The NEEM drill was an extended version of the Hans Tausen (HT) drill, with specific modifications to optimize its use with the highly viscous Estisol-240/Coasol drill fluid used at NEEM. Modification to the drill and its performance in the new drilling fluid was largely satisfactory and successful. Throughout the drilling, special consideration was given to the way chips were transported and collected in a new chip chamber, including the consequences of drilling a larger borehole diameter than with previous drill operations that used the HT family of drills. The problems normally associated with warm ice drilling near the base of an ice sheet were largely absent at NEEM.

AB - The NEEM deep ice-core drilling in northwest Greenland was completed in summer 2010 after three seasons, which included establishing all drilling infrastructure. Normal drilling operations in the main borehole were declared terminated at 2537.36m below the surface, when further penetration was stopped by a stone embedded in the ice in the path of the drill head. The design and implementation of the drilling operation strongly resembled the NGRIP drilling program. The NEEM drill was an extended version of the Hans Tausen (HT) drill, with specific modifications to optimize its use with the highly viscous Estisol-240/Coasol drill fluid used at NEEM. Modification to the drill and its performance in the new drilling fluid was largely satisfactory and successful. Throughout the drilling, special consideration was given to the way chips were transported and collected in a new chip chamber, including the consequences of drilling a larger borehole diameter than with previous drill operations that used the HT family of drills. The problems normally associated with warm ice drilling near the base of an ice sheet were largely absent at NEEM.

U2 - 10.3189/2014aog68a042

DO - 10.3189/2014aog68a042

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0260-3055

VL - 55

SP - 53

EP - 64

JO - Annals of Glaciology

JF - Annals of Glaciology

IS - 68

ER -