Stowing garages and equipment on sleds

The former NEEM site seen from the dome. To the very left, the vertical pipe of the NEEM bore hole. Until yesterday, the dome stood just to the right of it.

While the entire camp is centered around the main dome on the former apron, we spent the day preparing departure. Joel and Mathias were acting carpenters mounting safety barriers on most shelves in the main dome so that things do not drop during the traverse.

Pat, Sverrir and Sepp were loading heavy items on the GrIT sled. Paul, Nanna, Anna and Helle were stowing scientific equipment and helped stowing the heavy too. Dorthe was cooking excellent meals for all and J.P. kept records on the stowed items.

Yesterday and last night there was snowdrift, and we were impressed by the amount of snow already beginning to fill the holes left behind as we removed the camp structures. Soon, most signs that this was once an ice core drilling camp will be gone. Only a few snow hills remain, a weather station, a seismic station and the extended casing pipe for the NEEM deep hole. After some years, we plan to return and repeat the bore hole logging, that Dorthe completed a few days ago.

What we have done today:

1. Stowing garages and equipment on GrIT sled and some equipment on other
    sleds.
2. Making safety shelves in the dome in preparation of traverse.
3. Repairing malfunction on crane.  
4. Contact with our colleagues on the Renland Ice cap at 19.00 local (21.00
    Renland time).

Ad.4: The Renland team reports all well, a good mood and being busy in a good way. Weather has been sunny with little wind and -8 °C. The main drill reached 60 m depth. The shallow drill system reached 64 m depth while the U.S. firn air sampling continues. The high temperatures outside begin to cause too high temperatures in the drill tent. It has been decided to go to night time operations. This means, that from tomorrow the Renland crew will work at night and sleep by day.  

NEEM weather: Windy and cloudy with snowdrift in the morning, later clearing and less wind. Temp. – 15 °C to -23 °C, 3 - 9 m/s from S and SSE. Visibility: In the morning 1 km, later unrestricted.   

FL, J.P. Steffensen