Cutting Holes


When an ice camp is set up, the first thing we do is cut a hole through the ice, so that oceanographic instruments can be deployed. The hole is cut with what is essentially a large cookie cutter using heated steam forced through a circular pipe about one meter diameter. After the hole is cut, the remaining ice core can either be pushed under the ice and allowed to drift away, or pulled up. A core can weigh over a thousand pounds.

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