A technique for continuous detection of drill liquid in ice cores

Warming, E.; Svensson, A.; Vallelonga, P.; Bigler, Matthias (2013). A technique for continuous detection of drill liquid in ice cores. Journal of glaciology, 59(215), pp. 503-506. International Glaciological Society 10.3189/2013JoG12J124

Text a-technique-for-continuous-detection-of-drill-liquid-in-ice-cores.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (149kB)

When drilling ice cores deeper than ∼100 m, drill liquid is required to maintain ice-core quality and to limit borehole closure. Due to high-pressure air bubbles in the ice, the ice core can crack during drilling and core retrieval, typically at 600–1200 m depth in Greenland. Ice from this 'brittle zone' can be contaminated by drill liquid as it seeps through cracks into the core. Continuous flow analysis (CFA) systems are routinely used to analyse ice for chemical impurities, so the detection of drill liquid is important for validating accurate measurements and avoiding potential instrument damage. An optical detector was constructed to identify drill liquid in CFA tubing by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy at a wavelength of 290 nm. The set-up was successfully field-tested in the frame of the NEEM ice-core drilling project in Greenland. A total of 27 cases of drill liquid contamination were identified during the analysis of 175 m of brittle zone ice. The analyses most strongly affected by drill liquid contamination include insoluble dust particles, electrolytic conductivity, ammonium, hydrogen peroxide and sulphate. This method may also be applied to other types of drill liquid used at other drill sites.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

1 since deposited on 25 Sep 2014
0 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item