Non-contact measurement system for hot water drilled ice boreholes

A programmable borehole measurement system was deployed in hot water drilled ice holes during the ‘Bed Access and Monitoring of Ice Sheet History’ (BEAMISH) project to drill to the bed of the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. This system operates autonomously (no live data) after deployment, an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of glaciology 2021-09, Vol.62 (85-86), p.223-232
Main Authors: McAfee, Carson W. I., Rix, Julius, Quirk, Sean J., Anker, Paul G. D., Brisbourne, Alex M., Makinson, Keith
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Batteries
Boreholes
Cameras
Contact pressure
Deployment
Diameters
Drilling
Drills
Earth science
Glaciation
Glaciers
Glaciological instruments and methods
Hot water
ice engineering
Ice sheets
Inspection
Integrity
Lithium
Lithium batteries
Measurement
remote sensing
Sediments
Sensors
Stainless steel
subglacial lakes
Verticality
Visual inspection
Water circulation
Water column
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Description
Summary:A programmable borehole measurement system was deployed in hot water drilled ice holes during the ‘Bed Access and Monitoring of Ice Sheet History’ (BEAMISH) project to drill to the bed of the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. This system operates autonomously (no live data) after deployment, and records borehole diameter (non-contact measurement), water column pressure, heading and inclination. Three cameras, two sideways looking and one vertical, are also included for visual inspection of hole integrity and sediments. The system is small, lightweight (~35.5 kg) and low power using only 6 ‘D’ cell sized lithium batteries, making it ideal for transport and use in remote field sites. The system is 2.81 m long and 165 mm in diameter, and can be deployed attached to the drill hose for measurements during drilling or on its own deployment line afterwards. The full system is discussed in detail, highlighting design strengths and weaknesses. Data from the BEAMISH project are also presented in the form of camera images showing hole integrity, and sensor data used to calculate borehole diameter through the full length of the hole. These data are used to show confidence in hole verticality and subsurface cavity development and connection.
ISSN:0260-3055
1727-5644
DOI:10.1017/aog.2020.85