ITP 23 Deployment Operations

One day later and 120 miles north of the deployment of ITP 21, the ice conditions were still surprisingly thin and broken near 82° N latitude with only patches of remnant floes or old worn ridges from previous years. On morning reconnaissance to select the next ITP deployment site, the first landing of the helicopter was on a rafted floe (2 stacked floes) more than 5 m thick. The next landing site was too thin so also unacceptable, but finally a peanut-shaped floe that measured 4.07 m thick (with 0.34 m freeboard) on one side and 1.74 m thick on the other was selected. Rubble ridges 1-3 m thick surrounded the thick sides of the floe.

A few hours later, the operations began, all of the gear and personnel were transferred to the ice by the helicopter, and the AOFB was deployed on the thick side of the ice floe in 3 hours, with ice thermistor string installed at a spot 3.8 m thick. ITP 23 was deployed 80 m away on the thin 1.90 m side of the ice floe a little more than 2 hours later, and all of the gear and personnel were returned to the ship by the helicopter.

The peanut-shaped, half-rafted ice floe that was the third choice amongst poor ice conditions, but became the platform for ITP 23 and an AOFB. (Photo by: Rick Krishfield)

While the ship maneuvers to approach the ice party, gear is slung by long line from the helicopter to the deployment site. (Photo by: Gary Morgan)

The tripod allows the auger to be hoisted or lowered with a chain fall by Will Ostrom (center) to control the vertical drilling, while Jim Dunn (left) and Steve Lambert (right) keep the auger head from rotating.

The 4 m thick rafted ice at the AOFB location is also porous and with voids, so contains pockets of seawater which strains the 1 horsepower Jiffy auger motor. The tripod allows the auger to be hoisted or lowered with a chain fall by Will Ostrom (center) to control the vertical drilling, while Jim Dunn (left) and Steve Lambert (right) keep the auger head from rotating. (Photo by: Rick Krishfield)

The layout of the AOFB before deployment with sensor package on left and buoy on other side of wood-covered ice hole. (Photo by: Gary Morgan)

Jim Dunn peers down 11" diameter hole at sensor package of AOFB which is being suspended from the tripod. (Photo by: Rick Krishfield)

Gary Morgan clears auger debris with a shovel while the next hole in the ice for the ITP is augered. The process is particularly difficult this year due to the rotten ice conditions. (Photo by: Rick Krishfield)

The large black crater which contained the AOFB is slung back to the CCGS Louis S. St. Laurent by the helicopter. (Photo by: Gary Morgan)

A view of the last remaining members of ice party and buoys on the ice as seen from the ship at the end of the deployment. (Photo by: Rick Krishfield)