24 May 2012

17 for lunch and 27 for supper

Koni Steffen and Gino Casassa perform maintenance work on the PARCA

An interesting routine is developing. In the morning we send off two
aircraft, one with 6 persons and one with four. They stay away during the
day and return for supper. It is almost as if NEEM needs an air traffic
controller.

The U.S. team is testing if they can use the existing tower and winch for their logging device. If this test is successful, then we don’t have to mount another winch and weatherport on top of the drill hole and this would save a lot of effort and time.

The Danish drill test has run well so far and after few modifications, the drillers are ready to test the drill in a fluid filled hole.

The German drill team are setting up their drill for testing. Later on, this drill will be taken by the AWI plane to several locations on the North Greenland ice sheet.

The mood in camp is fine and we have so far been blessed with good weather conditions.Today we had the first significant clouds and the first snow of the
season.

What we have done today:
1. Sending off and receiving two aircraft.
2. Danish test drilling at 117.5 m.
3. Testing U.S. sonic borehole logging device on deep drill cable and winch
    system.
4. Removing snow wall from South side of carpenters garage.
5. AWI drill system assembly in progress.
6. Mounting garbage collection pallet.
7. Maintenance of the PARCA weather station at NEEM.

Ad.1: The PARCA Twin Otter made successful visits to GITS and Humbolt
weather station sites. AWI Polar 6 made a successful radar mission along
one of the predetermined profiles.

Ad.2: Dry drilling has now finished at 117.5 m. Ice core quality has been
superb. The last 27.5 m have been drilled with a new slip ring design
which works fine. Drillers are now ready to begin wet drilling after
logging of the deep hole has been done.

Weather: Clear with patches of overcast and light snow. Temp. - 14°C to -
22°C, 13-3 knots from SSW. Visibility: 2 km to horizon.

FL, J.P. Steffensen

 

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