@article{Makinson:2015:10.1098/rsta.2014.0304,
author = {Makinson, K and Pearce, D and Hodgson, DA and Bentley, MJ and Smith, AM and Tranter, M and Rose, M and Ross, N and Mowlem, M and Parnell, J and Siegert, MJ},
doi = {10.1098/rsta.2014.0304},
journal = {Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences},
title = {Clean subglacial access: prospects for future deep hot-water drilling},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0304},
volume = {374},
year = {2015}
}

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TY  - JOUR
AB  - Accessing and sampling subglacial environments deep beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet presents several challenges to existing drilling technologies. With over half of the ice sheet believed to be resting on a wet bed, drilling down to this environment must conform to international agreements on environmental stewardship and protection, making clean hot-water drilling the most viable option. Such a drill, and its water recovery system, must be capable of accessing significantly greater ice depths than previous hot-water drills, and remain fully operational after connecting with the basal hydrological system. The Subglacial Lake Ellsworth (SLE) project developed a comprehensive plan for deep (greater than 3000 m) subglacial lake research, involving the design and development of a clean deep-ice hot-water drill. However, during fieldwork in December 2012 drilling was halted after a succession of equipment issues culminated in a failure to link with a subsurface cavity and abandonment of the access holes. The lessons learned from this experience are presented here. Combining knowledge gained from these lessons with experience from other hot-water drilling programmes, and recent field testing, we describe the most viable technical options and operational procedures for future clean entry into SLE and other deep subglacial access targets.
AU  - Makinson,K
AU  - Pearce,D
AU  - Hodgson,DA
AU  - Bentley,MJ
AU  - Smith,AM
AU  - Tranter,M
AU  - Rose,M
AU  - Ross,N
AU  - Mowlem,M
AU  - Parnell,J
AU  - Siegert,MJ
DO  - 10.1098/rsta.2014.0304
PY  - 2015///
SN  - 1471-2962
TI  - Clean subglacial access: prospects for future deep hot-water drilling
T2  - Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0304
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/29441
VL  - 374
ER  - 

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