Scientists Drill Deepest Hole Ever in Antarctica

livescience.com ^ | | January 24, 2019 08:35am ET | Yasemin Saplakoglu

[BenLurkin]

Scientists have been planning the project, called BEAMISH (Bed Access, Monitoring and Ice Sheet History), for the past 20 years. On Jan. 8, after 63 hours of continuous drilling using a hot-water drill (a large tool that melts the ice), they broke through the base of the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica.

The team reached a depth of 7,060 feet (2,152 meters) and threaded instruments through the hole to record water pressure and ice temperature, and to measure how much the ice has deformed.

The team reached a depth of 7,060 feet (2,152 meters) and threaded instruments through the hole to record water pressure and ice temperature, and to measure how much the ice has deformed.

By drilling down deep, the team hopes to find out how long ago the Antarctic ice sheet last disappeared and how water and sediments may be nudging the ice toward the sea, according to the project's webpage. (Ice streams are kind of like frozen rivers where ice moves faster than the rest of the area.)

[BobL]

LOL.

[Vaduz]

At least we now know where Hillary’s e-mails went.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks fieldmarshaldj. The end of the drill came up in my back yard!

[SunkenCiv]

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