EPICA V pre-site survey Dronning Maud Land 1999/2000
Overview
The EPICA campaign in Dronning Maud Land1999/2000 was the 5th and probably final part of the pre-site survey for the planned EPICA deep ice core drilling in Dronning Maud Land (Fig. 1). On the other hand it was the start of a new programme dedicated to air chemistry in the surroundings of the proposed drilling site. This aerosol-sampling programme, which focuses on the air-firn transfer of specific chemical compounds, should last several summer seasons accompanying the drilling project. A similar sampling procedure is included in the year-round sampling programme at the coastal site Neumayer station (70.6°S, 8.3°W) and an almost identical project has been carried out at the EPICA drilling site at dome Concordia (75°S, 124°E).
The aim of the pre-site survey was to investigate all the parameters needed for a physical description of the firn and ice body in Dronning Maud Land. Based on this information the most suitable drill location was selected. In addition the results of the pre-site survey will be used to describe the present day status of the glaciological and climatic settings in Dronning Maud Land for comparison with future findings of ice-core analyses. With respect to the results of ice thickness measurements presented by Steinhage et al. (1999), the results of accumulation studies by Oerter et al. (1999) and (in the press) as well as the investigations on surface topography and ice movement (Huybrechts et al., in the press) the area around point DML05 (75°S, 0°E) was selected as the best drilling location. This season activities took place approximately 2 km east of DML05.
One can gratefully mention that no severe accident occurred during the field season. One person got altitude sickness and was transport back to sea level by aircraft where he recovered fast.
The scientific work on Amundsenisen was partly supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (projects Oe130/3 and Wa709/6).
The EPICA Steering Committee had recommended that Norway should be responsible for the environmental impact assessment procedure for this season?s campaign. Therefore an application was forwarded by AWI to Norsk Polar Institutt. The Norsk Polar Institutt evaluated the project. The Norwegian Ministry of Environment agreed with the conclusions of this IEE that the proposed activity will have no more than minor or transitory impact on the environment, and that the preparation of a CEE therefore is not considered. The Ministry pointed out that AWI shall implement the mitigative measures as described in the advanced notice, including waste management and careful handling of fuel.
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Fig. 1: Map of Dronning Maud Land showing the AWI over-snow traverse route and points of measurements visited so far. The 1999/2000 traverse route runs from Neumayer station to the vicinity of DML05. Sites shown with filled circles or squares were visited in 1999/2000.
The EPICA field programme was carried out by:
- 3 persons from AWI logistics department,
- 4 workers from Reederei Laeisz (engaged for the field season and its preparation by AWI),
- 1 mechanic from Kässbohrer company,
- 1 member of the wintering over team at Neumayer (doctor),
- 2 scientists from the AWI division of Geosystems (Glaciology) and
- 1 scientist from University of Heidelberg.
- The flight crew of DLR onboard of POLAR4 supported the work as well as
- the members of the base team at Neumayer station.
The planned programme of the 1999/2000 season included:
* An overland traverse from Neumayer station to the proposed drilling site at DML05 and back.
* Erection of a field camp for this season's scientific activities in such a way that it can be expanded and used during the oncoming drilling periods. Parts of the recovered German summer base "Filchner" should be used to build a new summer base in DML.
* An air and snow chemistry study adjacent to the camp site
* Geodetic surveying
* Maintenance of two automatic weather stations, operated by University of Utrecht in the frame of EPICA as well as the installation of three recording snow height sensors.
* Remeasurement of the accumulation stake line across Ritscherflya.
* A second traverse from Neumayer to the field camp to carry fuel and construction material to be used in the following season 2000/2001.
* Support by the aircraft "POLAR 4" for transport of personnel and snow and firn samples.
* There was an option for additional ice thickness measurements by airborne radio-echosounding (POLAR 2). Due to time delays of the EMAGE project, caused by bad weather conditions, this option could not be carried out.
The EPICA campaign can be separated into 8 periods:
- Travel from Cape Town to Antarctica onboard MV S.A. Agulhas,
- overland traverse from Neumayer to DML05 including preparation work at Neumayer,
- erection of the field camp and scientific equipment,
- operating the camp and carrying out the scientific programme in the area of the proposed drilling site,
- second traverse from DML05 to Neumayer station and back,
- enlargement of the camp and depot for the next year,
- traverse back to Neumayer,
- travel out of Antarctica onboard RV Polarstern to Cape Town. (Tab. 1)
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Tab. 1: Timetable of the 1999/2000 Dronning Maud Land traverse.
Date Work carried out
25.11.-10.12.1999: Journey onboard MV S.A. Agulhas from Cape Town to Antarctica, in co-operation with South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP)
10.12.1999: Arrival S.A. Agulhas in front of Atka ice port; unloading on sea ice and transport of the cargo to the Neumayer station
11.12.-16.12.1999: At Neumayer station: Maintenance of the PistenBullies and preparation of the cargo sledges for the traverse
16.12.-31.12.1999: Traverse journey from Neumayer station to the location ?Field camp? adjacent to DML05. En route reading of the bamboo poles (until 74°30.08'S, 9°13.12'W) for accumulation studies.
16.12.1999: Departure traverse group from Neumayer station in the late afternoon with 6 PistenBullies und 13 sledges.
19.12.-21.12.1999: Drift; Traverse waits at 72°34.97'S, 8°58.87'W
24.12.1999: Traverse at former Kottas camp; erection of seismometer, GPS measurements at Kottas mountains (74°16.5'S, 9°37.3'W). Preparing landing strip.
31.12.1999: Arrival at location ?Field camp? (75° 00.104'S, 0°4.071'E, 2885 m a.s.l.) after travelling in total 757 km
31.12.1999-7.1.2000: Erection o f the field camp (steel platform with 4 containers) for operation during the season 1999/200.
Erection and putting into operation of the scientific equipment, 2 firn cores drilled adjacent to the camp area at DML25 (75°00.360'S, 0°4.912'E)
02.01.2000: Visit of Polar 4 at Camp (1 Pax from Neumayer to camp, snow samples back to Neumayer)
08.01.-08.02.2000 Operation of field camp and scientific measuring sites, snow sampling, GPS-measurements, maintenance AWS
08.01.2000: Maintenance AWS EPICA 9 at DML05 (75°00.148'S, 0°00.434'E) operated by University of Utrecht
09.01.2000: Visit Polar 4 at camp (transport of 1 diseased person back to Neumayer)
12.01.2000: construction of snow-height sensors HM1, HM2 und HM3 of University Utrecht
18.01.2000: Visit Polar 4 at camp for flight to Camp Victoria (76°00.048'S, 8°03.229'W) to maintain AWS EPICA 8 of University Utrecht
25.01.2000: 10-m firn core at DML 26 (74°50.362'S, 0°00.597'E)
28.01.2000: 10-m firn core at DML 27 (75°03.360'S, 0°42.241'E)
01.02.2000: 3 more containers had been put on the platform
02.02.2000: Lifting the platform by 0.7 m
06.02.2000: Last day of measurements at field camp
10.01.-30.01.2000: Second traverse field camp - Neumayer station and back
10.01.2000: Departure at field camp (4 people; 3 PistenBullies, 4 loaded sledges, 4 empty sledges, 1 crane Bully carried on a sledge
13.01.2000: Stay at former Kottas camp for logistics; GPS Kottas mountains
17.-23.01.2000: Stay at Neumayer station for unloading Polarstern, maintenance PistenBullies, Putting together sledge convoys (4 PistenBullies, 9 sledges) for second journey to field camp
27.01.2000: Stay at former Kottas camp for logistics; GPS Kottas mountains
30.01.2000 Arrival at field camp
09.02.-17.02.2000: Traverse from field camp back to Neumayer station with 4 PistenBullies, 2 crane Bullies loaded on sledges and totally 9 sledges
13.02.2000: Stay at former Kottas camp for logistics; GPS Kottas mountains
18.02.-26.02.2000: Stay at Neumayer station; dismantling of the traverse equipment, loading cargo into containers for shipment back, maintenance PistenBullies
27.02.2000: On board RV Polarstern
13.03.2000: Arrival at Cape Town
Achievements of the 1999/2000 field season:
All logistic tasks were carried out, transport as well as stepwise construction of the field camp at the proposed EPICA drilling site (Fig. 2).
The planned glaciological sampling programme was carried out. For the first time on the inlandice of DML a high-volume as well as a low-volume aerosol sampler were running continuously over 5 weeks. The aerosol sampling was accompanied by intensive snow sampling to study the transfer function of trace elements from the air to the firn. The samples will be analysed at the home labs only. In addition firn temperature measurements were done with two thermistor strings (depth interval 0-2 m and 0.5 - 12 m), recording in 15 minutes time steps or daily readings, respectively. To get ice movement and deformation in the close surroundings of the drill site a strain net was set up and measured for the first time by GPS (Fig. 3). Maintenance of two automatic weather stations operated by University of Utrecht was done successfully. Thus meteorological data can be provided for the next years. In addition three new snow height sensors were built up around AWS EPICA9 at DML05 within a radius of 1 km.