Field updates from Muller Ice Cap

 Daily Report for the 24 April 2025   The day started well but after a few drill-runs it was time to add drill liquid to the borehole. During the operation the connection between two parts of the firehose slipped and 55 m of firehose went down to the bottom of the borehole… Luckily Grant had a rescue tool – a harpoon looking item to attach under the  drill and we got the hose ‘hooked’ after few attempts. As shown on the picture is was not a firm grip but we managed to retrieve the firehose and pull all up. Later during the day, a Twin Otter came by after a failed attempt to bring Laura and Miles to the MARS station. We had the pleasure of showing Laura, Miles and the Twin Otter pilots around and hosting them for a cup of tea and some of Shari’s homemade cookies. Even with the hose rescue interference, we had a record drilling day retrieving close to 42 m of ice core.   What we have done: -Drilled 24 runs from 117.42 m to 158.75 m -Recovered 55 m of fi...

 Daily Report for the 23 April 2025 The first day wet drilling. It requires more care to preserve the  drill liquid and not pollute. We pump liquid down through a 80 m long firehose so it enters the borehole below the pore close off and thus, cannot seep out into the ice. Grant has made a ‘cable wiper’ that is mounted on the cable just over the liquid in the borehole. It wipes the liquid off the cable again to reduce the loss. On the surface we gather the liquid in buckets and melts the mixture of drill liquid and ice cuttings in a drum so the water and drill liquid separates. The drill liquid is then reused. We all wear special drill clothes that stays outside our kitchen tent and dries overnight in the generator tent. What we have done: -Drilled 9 runs to run 91, from 99.66 m to 117.42 -Logged, weighed, O18 sampled and ECM measured bags 100 - 117. -Finished the first shallow ice core at a depth of 70 m   Dorthe Dahl-Jensen   Wx at Müller: Ground fog...

 Daily Report for the 22 April 2025   To change from dry to wet drilling the borehole needs to have a slightly larger diameter to allow the drill to move up and down through the liquid. After implementing the improvements to the drill software program we rimmed the borehole fishing all the cuttings up by drilling small ice cores as plugs. We ended the day by logging the borehole with the mini logger to follow the temperature and ensure the borehole is plum. While preparing for wet drilling in the main camp Ali, Etienne, Jaime and Sofia went out to the Mountain View shallow drill site a few hundred meters away and drilled 36 m with the Eclipse drill. Jaime and Sofie drilled their first ice core 😊   What we have done: -Drilled 36 m with the Eclipse drill at Mountain View -Rimmed the bore diameter up to 129.6 mm in preparation of the   wet drilling. Drilled from 96.01 m to 99.66 m -Logged, weighed, O18 sampled and ECM measured bags 97- 99. -Calibrated...

Daily Report for the 21 April 2025 Monday was the first day where we worked in shifts the  whole day from 8 am to midnight: This worked well and we drilled and measured 41.2 m of ice. By the end of the day the ice became more brittle and we decided that we the next day would change to liquid drilling.  At a depth of around 100 m the ice starts to break because of the big pressure difference between the open borehole and the ice under pressure of 100 m of above laying ice. When we add liquid to the borehole we increase the pressure around the core making the drilling more gentle and the ice quality becomes better. At the end of the day we saw an interesting brown layer in the ice cores. Measurement of the conductivity over the layer did not indicate that this was a volcanic layer. However, right at the end of the day, the ECM showed a mayor conductive layer and by comparing with other ice records we know that this was the trace of the big Icelandic Laki eruption in 1783 AD. We ...

 Daily Report for the 19-20 April 2025 Weekend – and even Easter weekend! While the drill production is slowly increasing, we stopped working Saturday at 4 pm. After 2-3 weeks in the ice cap a shower sounded really nice. We used 4 hours and 80 liters of water showering in the Viessman freezer and turned into a hothouse. We moved the Webasto heater out in the cabin and with a pot of warm water and a camping shower head we all took a shower. After that we had an Easter Egg hunt in the drill tent   and a very eager group raced around finding colorful eggs and Kinder Eggs with toys. After that, we had pizza for dinner and played games. A really good evening.  Now the Viessmann is turned back into a freezer and the first five full ice core boxes are stored at cold temperatures.   What we have done: -Saturday: Drilled 7 ice cores from 26.39 m to 33.14 m below the present  surface. -Sunday: Drilled 14 ice cores from 33.14 m to 54.72 m below the present surf...

 Daily Report for the 18 April 2025   Although we still had some power generator problems we managed to drill most of the day. The firn (old snow that became glacial ice) in the cores becomes  more dense with fewer ice layers. Very promising 😊 At the Mountain View Suburb, the cable was respooled and the inclined  trench dug so they Eclipse drill is ready to go. We have decided to start the work in shifts tomorrow, but start easy with a Saturday and Sunday. What we have done: -Drilled 8 ice cores from 17.88 m to 26.39 m below the present surface. -Worked with power failure problems related to drilling. -Logged, weighed, O18 sampled and ECM measured bags 18 to 26. -Respooled the cable on the Eclipse winch. -Made the inclined trench for the Eclipse drill and the drill is ready to go.   Dorthe Dahl-Jensen   Wx at Müller: Blue sky with light overcast, wind 6km from 225 deg, temperatures between -26 to -24 deg C. Caption: A Müller ice cor...

 Daily Report for the 17 April 2025 As you might have noted from the pictures from camp drying of  boots and socks are reappearing events. Today we thought we had smoke in the front tent while eating lunch. It turned out to be water vapor from all the drying boots spread out all over the floor. Interestingly, we all agree that we don’t smell …..  Today we have had a lot of problems with our drills. The intermediate drill kept causing power failure… when pulling up with the winch. The shallow drill, the Eclipse drill also had problems with the winch motor. Grant, Kevin and Etienne used a lot of the time trying to solve the problems while David built a platform to protect cables, Emma, Jaime and Sofia started sampling the inclined trench for O18 and organized clothing for the wet drilling to come and Shari baked focaccia bread for dinner.   What we have done: -Drilled 7 ice cores from 9.07m to 17.88 m below the present surface. -Worked with power failure prob...

 Daily Report for the 15 April 2025 Again, a very sunny day with low winds. We continued preparing  all details in the drill tent. It just took a long time getting the last things done … balance the tower, terminate the cable, load test the termination, insert a tower holder for the pull out, make the push pole, ……. While all these last details where going on Ali, Etienne, Sofia and Jaime took the skidoo to the shallow drill site and repaired the Axion tent by sewing a ripped zipper at a door opening.   What we have done: - Spent the day making all the small last things for the drill trench -Restored the Burb (Suburb) shallow drilling site after the weekend winds. -Assembled the drill tower and load tested the cable termination - Got the drill head ready -Had two overflights of a Twin Otter   Dorthe Dahl-Jensen   Wx at Müller: Blue sky, wind 3-6 km from 300 deg, temperatures between -22  to -30 deg C .   Caption: Camp is cozy Capt...

 Daily Report for the 14 April 2025 A nice sunny day with low winds. Most of our effort went into  getting the drill tent ready for ice core drilling. The biggest task has been to dig out the inclined trench and with high music and enormous energy. Emma, Ali, Sofia and Jaime made the deep trench allowing the tower to tip from vertical to horizontal when the drill is at the surface. We reached the depth and just need some fine tuning of the stairs. There were several thick ice layers needing chain saws to cut through. Other tasks went on in parallel like setting up the saw, logging computer, drill computer, assemble and test the drill and much more. Also, the setup with solar panels needed some tuning that kept Kevin busy most of the day. What we have done: - Made the inclined trench -Finalized the setup of the logging table -Prepared the O18 scrapers and ECM and logging programs -Assembled the drill and tested it - Worked on tuning the solar system -Changed to ...

 Daily Report for the 12 and 13 April 2025 Our first Saturday in camp and we had decided to stop working  at 4 pm. But the wind was high from the morning, up to 33 km and we could not see from tent to tent so from noon we all stayed in the kitchen tent. We had a really nice evening with Kevin serving Baileys and Swiss chocolate and Shari Pizza. We played games like Werewolves, Beaver tales and Meyer. Both toilet tents collapsed in the wind and Kevin’s tent ripped. Around 11 pm the wind dropped to 24 km so it was safe to go to our tents and sleep.  Sunday morning we woke to sunshine and low winds. Wonderful. We had a peaceful morning before continuing work. We had a good day getting many tasks done. The big drill tent managed the storm What we have done Saturday: - Kept generators and Star link alive in the wind -Moved all drill boxes into the drill tent and marked and secured everything outside - Had a fun Saturday evening What we have done Sunday: -Groome...

  Daily Report for the 11 April 2025   We woke of to a very windy day with winds of 24 km gusting 32 km. The wind was from North – directly the opposite direction of the main wind direction so front on all structures. Luckily both the kitchen tent and the drill tent have back doors… We all worked in the drill tent furbishing the tent. We moved all the boxes in front into the tent before all were drowned in snow, finished the railing, installed the tower base and the winch, made drill and logging tables and started to dig the inclined trench. Shari served wonderful food for us beef strew for lunch with warm break and curry coconut lentil soup with vegetables and chicken.   What we have done: - Worked on furbishing the drill trench - Moved all drill boxes out of the drifts and into the drill tent. Dorthe Dahl-Jensen   Wx at Müller: Sunny with drifting snow. Wind 24 kn gusting over 30 kn, temperatures from -24 to -27 deg C. Captions: Walking between tents ...

 Daily Report for the 10 April 2025 A very productive day working with outdoor tasks like assembling  the Viessmann freezer, making a new toilet hole and setting up the Axion tent for the shallow drilling in the clean snow area. The forecast predicts high winds the two next days so we will continue the work on installing the drill and setting up tables for the drill equipment and the ice core logging. What we have done: - Installed timber frame for the intermediate drill system including a guard rail - Placed geo blocks on part of the floor in the drill trench - Assembled the Viessmann freezer - Made a new toilet according to codex - Setup Axion tent for shallow drilling ad secured it with snow blocks - Enjoyed fantastic tomato soup for lunch and tacos for dinner – YUM and thanks Dorthe Dahl-Jensen Wx at Müller: Sunny with wind picking up through the day to 14 km from N. Temperatures from -20 in the morning to -26 deg C at dinner time.   Caption: Ass...

 Daily Report for the 09 April 2025 A warm day with temperatures between -16 and -20 deg C and  no wind so we decided this was the day to put up the big fancy inflatable drill tent. First step was to get the main 15 kW generator running and the pump was used to inflate the arches of the drill tent. The tent came up beautifully and was entirely inflated by the  afternoon. A drill cathedral 😊 We are so excited and looking forward to install the drill and ice core logging equipment in the tent over the next few days where the weather forecasts promise high winds. What we have done: - Set up the drill tent - Arranged food and got the first not freeze dried meal today. THANKS Shari and Taylor for the wonderful food. - Had rifle, shotgun and bear banger training - Started main generator -Finalized the cleaning of the EGRIP Webasto and got it started. - Pulled the power cables between the main generator and the drill tent. Dorthe Dahl-Jensen   Wx at M...

 Daily Report for the 08 April 2025 The first truly isolated morning in the Müller camp. The Basler has left us, and will move from Eureka, Resolute to Iqaluit today. Our first goal today was to finish connecting the two kitchen tent, make a kitchen and dining area in one of the tents, and a work and internet tent in the second with room for parkas, boots and more. It worked really well and this evening we are enjoying a warm and comfortable evening sitting on chairs in front of a table at 20 deg C. Pure luxury What we have done: - Connected the two Arctic oven kitchen tents with a tarp. - Installed a kitchen, dining table, internet café and clook room. -Arranged all the outdoor cargo - Placed the main generator in a popup tent and installed the battery - Moved and setup sleeping tents -Had the AWI Webasto running overnight on solar cells -Washed hands and dishes for the first time in a week. -Worked on repairing the EGRIP Webasto 10 in camp (Ali, Dave, Dorthe, Emma, Etienne, Grant...

 Daily Report for the 07 April 2025 A really cold morning with night temperatures down to -36 deg C and fatamorgana structures. It took 2 hours before we had the generator and Webasto up and running. During the day we received two Basler loads including the grids for the drill tent floor, the Eclipse drill (shallow drill), a lot of camp gear and the main generator. On the first mission Linda and Nanna came, helped with the cargo and had a fast visit to camp. It took hours to build a ramp and get the 450 kg heavy generator out of the Basler.  We have had our last Basler mission for the put in and would like to thank Jim Haffey and his crew for their dedicated support. We have moved 25 tons of equipment into the Muller camp counting both the Skiway team and Team 1 put-in’s. Amazing.  Shari, Ali, Jamie, Sofia and Emma came to camp and we have got all the sleeping tents up. What we have done: - Received the Basler two times -Linda and Nanna came and helped on the firs...

 Daily Report for the 06 April 2025 Again, a cold morning with night temperatures down to -33 deg C and a slow start on the infrastructure. During the day we received three Basler loads including drums of fuel and drill liquid, endless amounts of foam boxes with food, camp gear and also empty boxes, the drill tent, kitchen equipment and drill boxes. After each mission we used shovels to fill the track from the back wheel of the Basler followed by grooming the track away. Sofia and Jaime came with the first mission to help unload and Kevin and Etienne came on the second mission to stay. We are thus five in camp now. We moved into the kitchen tent and enjoy the luxury of being able to stand up indoors. Now we can not wait for a chair to sit in. In Eureka Linda, Shari, Ali, Emma, Nanna, Sofia and Jamie have loaded the Basler with the cargo we have received. Vitor, operating the loader in Eureka also came by for a visit with the Basler. What we have done: - Received the Basler three ti...

Daily Report for the 05 April 2025 We woke up in a cloud. There was no visibility and it looked bad  for flying. A cold morning with night temperatures down to -33 deg C. The propane was in liquid form, the Webastro would not start and it seems related to the cold morning temperatures, maybe the fuel becomes too thick for the liking of the Webasto. And the generators also would not start at so cold temperatures. So step one is to get the propane stove going so the temperature rise to -20 deg C. Then the Webasto turns on and we can heat the generator so we can charge the battery the Webasto needs and open for Starlink…. Takes a good hour to get all running. During the afternoon, the weather cleared and Jim Haffey loaded the Basler at Eureka and we had our first mission on the groomed ski way. It went well and we got a load in including the Arctic Oven kitchen tent and plywood and beams for the kitchen tent floor. Grant and Dave put a floor and one of the two kitchen tents up while D...

Daily Report for the 04 April 2025 The day became even better as we got the Webasto running and the temperature in the kitchen tent became positive. We spent the day marking a 3500 ft long and 150 ft wide ski way for the Basler. After marking the ski way we groomed the ski way first a few times along the direction of the ski way then criss-crossed. We find the ski way is acceptable, the south end better than the north end. What we have done: - After googling the manual for the Webasto we found that the final shut down had error code 12 (lock up) to be solved by switching on, turning power off for 20 sec then on again. Getting the Webasto inside and getting the fuel warmer seemed to help it to keep running. - The ski way is marked with black bags with 2 at each of the four corners. NNE end at the center is 79.87817N, 91.77960W and the SSW end 79.87051N, 91.80937W. - Groomed the ski way first parallel and thin in zig-zag. We will finalize the grooming tomorrow before the Basler a...

 Daily Report for the 03 April 2025   This was the great day where we got the ski way team to Müller. The forecasts were not super but actually the weather was rather OK on the top. Winds like 15 km and mostly sunny. We got the Big Agnes tent up – thanks to Luke and also three sleeping tents. We got the skidoo, the generator and the Coleman stove running but could not get the Webasto running. So a cold day and evening with kitchen tent temperature like -15 deg C and sleeping tent temperatures close to -30 deg C.   What we have done: - Had a morning mission to Muller with the three from the ski way team and the last items. Thanks to Rod and Izzy for all the good advice on how to place the ski way. - Had the kitchen tent up first and had to ‘heat’ propane cylinder and generator to -15 deg C in the kitchen tent before they started. - Set up the three sleeping tents. - Opened Starlink -Had dinner and went early to bed. Dorthe Dahl-Jensen   Weather at Mü...