A DV visit and crew exchange

Preparations for DV visit

Today we had Distinguished Visitors (DVs) in camp and an exchange of personnel. Skier 93 arrived from Sønderstrømfjord (SFJ) at 12:24 with 40 passengers: 15 new camp participants, 21 DVs, and 4 journalists that will stay in camp for some days. The DVs are a mixture of politicians, university people, journalists, and other NEEM friends.

The plan was that the Skier should go to Thule to pick up fuel for camp, return to NEEM, and then go back to SFJ with ice core boxes and passengers. Due to limited weather conditions the schedule was changed and the Skier went back to SFJ via Thule at 14:54 with 12 NEEM participants and the 21 DVs, leaving a camp population of 39.

Due to this change of plans the DV visit was shortened, camp did not receive fuel, and the ice core boxes could not leave camp. Hopefully, a compensating flight can be arranged over the
coming days. In the evening, we’re, however, having another snow storm coming in, so right now it doesn’t look promising.

Drilling: 2.39 m, drillers depth: 2509.73 m
Logging: 2.27 m, loggers depth: 2525.65 m
No ice core processing today.

What we have done today:
1. Drilling and core logging ice.
2. CFA calibration and packing.
3. Packing and unpacking ice core box pallet.
4. Receiving Skier 93.
5. Catering and touring visitors around camp.
6. Setting up dome tents in stormy weather.

Weather: Overcast most of the day with wind up to 17 knots from SW and temperatures up to -4 °C . In the evening, the wind is picking up to 25 knots from SSW, we have occasional snowfall and snow drift, temperature is -4 °C , pressure is dropping.

FL’s Dorthe Dahl-Jensen and Anders Svensson