The past week has been busy as the station infrastructure is installed, providing kitchen and amenities buildings independent of the traverse facilities. Camp with newly constructed kitchen and mess in the centre. 📷 D. Beloin /..
Million Year Ice Core Project
@millionyearice.bsky.social
Information about the Australian Antarctic Program's Million Year Ice Core Project.
Activity at the Dome C North station is fully underway with the final placement of camp infrastructure and science drilling commencing. The first drilling task will be installation of 120 metres of casing in the upper borehole. 📷 J. Pedro /1
And for those who might not have seen it, here’s the journey the traverse has completed:
MYIC drilling team landed at Dome C earlier today. We are one day behind schedule, which in the face of logistical and weather challenges of operating in Antarctica is a big WIN!! Two months ahead of us for deep drill set up and ice coring. Bring it on!!
Home for the next two months for the Traverse and MYIC teams. 📸 Damien Beloin
Home for the next two months for the Traverse and MYIC teams. 📸 Damien Beloin
Australian Antarctic Program Traverse team rolls into Dome C North! The 1168 km journey was completed in 17 days 🚜⚡️. A superb result so early in the season.. months of teamwork and planning! A moment to celebrate before we move to setting up our ice core drill system! 📸 D. Harvie, A. Doherty,
Touchdown on ice.. three MYIC science and drilling team members arrived to Casey Station yesterday after ride in the big jet with other incoming Casey Station crew. Thanks ADF! #AusAntarctic 📸 JP
Traverse is making excellent progress more about this and some great picutres at www.facebook.com/share/p/1Fxr...
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Our season is now well and truly underway with the traverse climbing toward the drill site on the plateau. www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2025/lo...
Long haul for science begins – Australian Antarctic Program (News 2025)
Australia’s Antarctic tractor-traverse team is making its way up the Antarctic plateau to deliver scientific equipment, fuel and food to the site of the Million Year Ice Core (MYIC) drilling project.
antarctica.gov.au
While the field teams are already in action, preparing to traverse to the drill site, things in the MYIC labs are moving forward. Daniel and Andy made the first serious gas sublimation measurement using our system with some known-composition Law Dome core. 📷 Joel Pedro
This picture shows two complete AAD deep drill sondes (electronics assembly, motor and transmission) ready to be sealed inside pressure housings to drive deep drilling at Dome C North this summer. Photo: Derryn Harvie
Preparations are in full swing for the coming season’s fieldwork. This will see the start of drilling with the large drill built by AAD to core to around 3 km depth.
🚨 WORK WITH US at @utas.edu.au IN HOBART! 🧊 Research Associate – Ice Core Atmospheric Sciences 🫧 Play a lead role in interpreting gas records from the Million Year Ice Core (MYIC) @millionyearice.bsky.social project ✍️ Applications close 13 July 2025 ▶️ aappartnership.org.au/vacancies/#i...
www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2025/hi...
Antarctic ice cores returned to Australia – Australian Antarctic Program (News 2025)
The first 150 metres of a planned 3000 metre-long Antarctic ice core has been safely returned to Australia after a successful drilling season for the Million Year Ice Core (MYIC) project.
antarctica.gov.au
Yesterday, the cores arrived back in Hobart ready for analysis.
Yesterday the traverse team arrived back at Casey Station with the precious ice cores drilled this season. They will be kept refrigerated and flown to Australia in the coming weeks. 📷 Chris Wilkinson/AAD (see ALT text).
The view down the borehole shows the “blue of time” www.the-tls.co.uk/science-tech... - now sealed under the trap door until next season. Etienne and Joel reamed the final short segment ready for the casing next season; and the camp is readied for traverse to depart soon. 📷 Pedro; McLeod (aerial 📷)
Welcome to a number of new followers. Just a recap: this has been the first of several drilling seasons that will take us to about 3100 m depth and hopefully well over a million years of earth history. The link below is a good place to start, and our posts this season will fill out the story.
Million Year Ice Core Project@millionyearice.bsky.social · 2y agoHere’s a good broad look at various aspects the MYIC project, from AAD: ❄Learn more about the Million Year Ice Core project in our interactive feature ‘Secrets of the Ice’. www.antarctica.gov.au/news/explore...
It's done! MYIC DCN 2024-25 team. Back row from left: Mark Cook, Etienne Gros, Chris Plummer, Daniel Baggenstos, Tim Harris, Derryn Harvie, Dave Holley, Chris Wilkinson, Jack McLeod(📷), Rob Teasdale. Front row: Chris Gallagher, Chelsea Long, Nate Payne, Joel Pedro, Liv Grover-Johnson, Damien Beloin.
Yesterday the third and final reaming pass started and reached 47 m before drill faults intervened. This required replacement of the motor and a transmission seal. It’s literally “down to the wire” now to complete the work to a logical phase, taking care to avoid pitfalls. Large reamer (see alt).
Here’s a good broad look at various aspects the MYIC project, from AAD: ❄Learn more about the Million Year Ice Core project in our interactive feature ‘Secrets of the Ice’. www.antarctica.gov.au/news/explore...
Secrets of the Ice – Australian Antarctic Program
Drilling has begun in Australia’s quest for the oldest, continuous ice core record of Earth’s climate, dating back more than one million years. Australian Antarctic Program scientists are on location ...
antarctica.gov.au
Yesterday, 22/1, another step on the way was reached with the second reaming pass completed to target depth of 125 m, widening the hole to 209 mm. This leaves the third pass to go, which will widen to final diameter of 260 mm down to 120 m. Derryn, Daniel and Chelsea pictured (📷D.Harvie).
You can now follow along with the more detailed drilling field diary for MYIC available below, and we will continue posting summary snippets here at bluesky. www.antarctica.gov.au/science/clim...
Ice core drilling team diary – Australian Antarctic Program
antarctica.gov.au
The season is drawing to a close as the short high plateau summer recedes and harsher weather approaches. Over the next week, the science team will fly out, camp will close and traverse depart. Winterising is already underway.
Progress over the last couple of days continues with the 1st of 3 reaming passes completed and the 2nd pass more than halfway. This progressive widening of the borehole will allow the casing of this upper porous section and give a tight interface to the natural “casing” provided by the solid ice.
In recent days, the upper borehole has been completed, to around 150m deep. The next phase has begun, which is to progressively widen the top 130 metres or so so that borehole casing can be installed. The widening is done with special reaming attachments.
