Ice Stories: Dispatches From Polar Scientists » explosives

Detonation

Lucas Beem — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:13:12 +0000

WHILLANS ICE STREAM, ANTARCTICA– This video shows the detonation of our excess explosives, used for seismic surveys of the base of the glacier. Our scientific objectives justify the risks of transporting the explosives to our field site. But the risk is not justified to carry them back. As a result, once our scientific objectives have been completed we dispose of any excess through detonation.

A detonation on the ice sheet

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

One Month in the Deep Field, Part 4

Jake Walter — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:19:56 +0000

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND– In Monday’s dispatch, I described how we use passive seismometers to measure the movement of Whillians Ice Stream.

The other science component of the project is to image the subglacial lake underneath Whillans Ice Stream. To do this, we set off a series of explosions, with instruments called geophones to measure the waves emanating from the explosions. Because the waves bounce off all the layers of the subsurface, we can then figure out how deep all the layers are and eventually produce a cross-sectional map of what lies beneath the surface! Have a look at this video of the explosions.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Escorting Dynamite Through Siple Dome

Saffia Hossainzadeh — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:50:24 +0000

WHILLANS ICE STREAM / ICE STREAM B, ANTARCTICA– In these two audio dispatches, I describe our journey to our field site via a stop at Siple Dome station. In part one, hear about the difficulties involved in escorting 700 pounds of explosives through Antarctica. In part two, hear about our combat-style landing at Siple Dome’s remote air strip.

Part I

Part II

The main structure at Siple Dome.