ITP47 Deployment Operations

In collaboration with the North Pole Environmental Observatory, an Ice-Based Observatory consisting of ITP 47, and AOFB, an IMB, a PAWS, and webcam were to be deployed remotely in 2011 from the Russian ice camp Barneo using a Russian MI-8 helicopter. In order to avoid the added work, time, and logistics required to operate out of a remote camp as conducted in 2010 during ITP 38 deployment, this year the deployment operations were to be conducted while the helicopter waited at the site.

The deployment team and IBO instrument and equipment arrived from Longyearbyen, Svalbard to the Barneo ice camp on April 10 (located at 89° 12’ N, 138° 38’ E) where the conditions were clear and cold (-23°C). The evening consisted of coordinating with the camp managers and helicopter crew, and organizing and preparing the gear for the operations. The following day (still clear and cold), everything and everyone were loaded on the MI-8 helicopter and flown in little over an hour a distance of 175 km upstream to a large floe which was subsequently measured to be between 1.9 and 3.7 m thick.

While several holes were drilled to survey the ice and position the buoy array, all of the IBO equipment and apparatus were removed from the helicopter, except for those items which needed to stay warm (the air temperature remained around -23°C throughout the day). While one group installed the PAWS, another group began installation of the AOFB. When the PAWS was positioned, the first group subsequently worked on the webcam and IMB installations. When the AOFB was installed, the second group began the ITP deployment. Only a short break was taken for lunch and to warm up. Eight hours after landing, the IBO was completely deployed, all of the deployment gear was back onboard, and the helicopter departed from the floe.

all of the instrumentation and apparatus for all of buoys are transported by tractor from Barneo base camp to the Russian helicopter.

On the morning April 11, 2011, all of the instrumentation and apparatus for all of buoys are transported by tractor from Barneo base camp to the Russian helicopter. (Rick Krishfield)

All of the gear and passengers needed for conducting the Ice-Based Observatory deployment operations completely fills a single MI-8 helicopter. (Rick Krishfield)

Jeff Pietro drills a 2” diameter pilot hole for determining the ice thickness. (Rick Krishfield)

Kris Newhall, Pietro, and Steve Lambert gently lower the fragile AOFB sensor package through a 10.5” diameter hole in the floe. (Rick Krishfield)

Fully deployed, Rick Krishfield tests the operation of the AOFB. (Sergey Pisarev)

Meanwhile, Dean Stewart and Jamie Morison make the final connections to the PAWS. (Rick Krishfield)

Sergey Pisarev and Pietro auger another 10.5” hole for the ITP while Newhall takes up some of the weight of the auger head using the chainfall. (Rick Krishfield)

The ITP profiler is clamped to the wire by Krishfield and Pietro while Newhall steadies the intrument. (Sergey Pisarev)

The first inductive modem circuit test is conducted with the profiler body in the ocean to keep warm, and only the sensor head exposed. (Rick Krishfield)

Stewart, Morison and Lambert auger the 4” hole for installing the IMB ice thermistor strings. (Rick Krishfield)

Completing the deployment operations, Pietro positions ITP 47 surface package. (Rick Krishfield)