ITP33 Deployment Operations

The second ice station to be occupied during the JOIS 2009 cruise was intended to be a platform for a Ice-Based Observatory deployment consisting of 3 buoys, but limited visibility due to fog prevented an extended helicopter reconnaissance, and the ice conditions in the area were rather thin and broken. However, in the afternoon, a small but thick floe was spotted than stood out compared to the surroundings, due to its higher freeboard above the waterline. The floe was found to be over 4 m thick, but only several tens of meters in diameter so consequently it was decided that only a single ITP would be deployed at this site. A standard 3 hour deployment operation of ITP 33 ensued while the fog gradually lifted, and the floe was concurrently sampled by several ice researchers.

More information and photos on the deployment operation are also available at: https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=67297

Jim Dunn and Kris Newhall auger the 10.5" diameter hole through the 4 m thick icefloe while Brian Hogue works the chainfall to take the weight from the auger as needed to prevent it from jamming in the hole. (Rick Krishfield)

Ed Bridgeman guards against furry intruders while Newhall steadies the ITP profiler and Rick Krishfield connects the inductive modem coil just prior to lowering it through the hole. (Gary Morgan)

Newhall secures the Yale grip to the wire rope to take the mooring load, while Hogue untangles the remainder of the shot before completing the buoy installation. (Rick Krishfield)

With the ITP fully deployed, the surface buoy is interrogated to confirm the final inductive modem network test before the deployment apparatus is disassembled. (Gary Morgan)

As the helicopter returns with some passengers and gear in the trunk, others still on the ice cover the gear to ensure that nothing blows away in the prop wash. (Gary Morgan)