ITP 14 Deployment Operations

Two days after deployment of the previous system, ITP14 became the fourth ITP deployed from the "Akademik Federov" as part of the DAMOCLES Program. This site did not include an Ice-Mass Balance deployment, but only the ITP. The operation was conducted using a MI-8 helicopter from the ship in the same manner as the previous two systems. The operation departed the ship in gray, overcast conditions in the middle of the Arctic night with the temperature hovering around a relatively warm -2° C. After the personnel and gear were unloaded on the selected ice floe, the helicopter departed to continue to scout for a suitable ice floe for the Russian North Pole ice camp (NP-35). The deployment proceeded smoothly, then the field party were retrieved and transported back to the ship.

In the early morning hours of the deployment, Brian Hogue connects his laptop computer to the ITP surface test communications with the profiler, while others in the background are already repacking the auger bits. (John Kemp)

Experienced by the three prior deployments, Sergey Unovidov and Sergey Lesenkov know what hardware is needed next for the deployment, and search the toolkits to have it ready. (John Kemp)

Sometimes it takes several attempts to verify the inductive modem circuit, which can be disturbing to the field party who would dread having to abort the deployment and haul back the anchor. (John Kemp)