IceCube
IceCube Neutrino Observatory

Drilling

Category:
IceCube Gallery › Drilling

It all starts with a hole in the ice. A really big hole in the ice...and getting that hole into the ice is an adventure in and of itself. In order to drill a hole in the huge block of ice that the South Pole is composed of, we use an enhanced hot water drill, or "the drill" to drill holes more than 2.5km deep....More

The drill siteThe drill towerThe Crystal PalaceHose carrying hot water into towerTower and reels
Moving MDSs to Seasonal Equipment SiteSeasonal Equipment SiteFilling the water tankFilling the water tankHeating water for drilling
Fuel tankThe tower parts being movedTower ConstructionTower MovingMoving MDS
Drill Supply Hose ReelReelsReelsReelsReels
SES and TowerTower Operation Site on a windy dayInside the TowerPutting the firn drill awayFirn Drill
Firn DrillStudy of Firn DrillCoils of the firn drillPutting the Firn drill awayPutting the Firn drill away
Firn DrillEngineer with the drillsFirn drill and main drillDowngoing firn drillFirn drill
Firn drillAt the hoseThe drill headThe drill headAttaching the drill head
The drill head systemSteam rising from drillOpen House at the South PoleDrill Going Down The HoleWeight Stack In The Dark
DrillingAttaching drillStarting to drillDrill hoseDrilling
DrillingDrillingDown going hoseTaping hoseDown going hose
Down going hoseMonitoring the drillDrill control center (DCC)The dust loggerDSCN1199.JPG
Firn drillingPreparing to drill