Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya
We drilled an 81.2-m-long ice core in the accumulation area (5860 m a.s.l.) of Trambau Glacier in the Rolwaling region during October–November 2019. The drilling operation was conducted with a lightweight electro-mechanical drill system after two reconnaissance fieldworks in 2017 and 2018, during wh...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-09-01
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Series: | Annals of Glaciology |
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Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S026030552100015X/type/journal_article |
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author | Akane Tsushima Morihiro Miyahara Tetsuhide Yamasaki Nao Esashi Yota Sato Rijan B. Kayastha Ang J. B. Lama Sherpa Masaki Sano Koji Fujita |
author_facet | Akane Tsushima Morihiro Miyahara Tetsuhide Yamasaki Nao Esashi Yota Sato Rijan B. Kayastha Ang J. B. Lama Sherpa Masaki Sano Koji Fujita |
author_sort | Akane Tsushima |
collection | DOAJ |
description | We drilled an 81.2-m-long ice core in the accumulation area (5860 m a.s.l.) of Trambau Glacier in the Rolwaling region during October–November 2019. The drilling operation was conducted with a lightweight electro-mechanical drill system after two reconnaissance fieldworks in 2017 and 2018, during which two shallow firn cores were drilled with a hand auger. The drill system and ice core samples were transported by helicopters at a high elevation of 6000 m a.s.l. A further challenging issue was the ice core transportation between Nepal and Japan, as no regular commercial flight was available for the frozen samples. The addition of dry ice imported from India immediately prior to leaving Nepal allowed the ice core samples to be successfully transported to a cold room in Japan, and remain in a frozen state. Stratigraphic observations during the drilling operation suggest the drill site has been affected by melting and refreezing. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:03:29Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-418799267e3044768b8e35274e135f44 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 0260-3055 1727-5644 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:03:29Z |
publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
publisher | Cambridge University Press |
record_format | Article |
series | Annals of Glaciology |
spelling | doaj.art-418799267e3044768b8e35274e135f442023-03-09T12:27:43ZengCambridge University PressAnnals of Glaciology0260-30551727-56442021-09-016235335910.1017/aog.2021.15Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal HimalayaAkane Tsushima0Morihiro Miyahara1Tetsuhide Yamasaki2Nao Esashi3Yota Sato4Rijan B. Kayastha5Ang J. B. Lama Sherpa6Masaki Sano7Koji Fujita8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3753-4981Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, Tsukuba, JapanAnori Inc., Nishinomiya, JapanAvangnaq Arctic Project Corp., Takatsuki, JapanGraduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, Yamagata, JapanGraduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Environmental Science and Engineering, Himalayan Cryosphere, Climate and Disaster Research Center (HiCCDRC), School of Science, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, NepalGuides for All Seasons Trek, P.O. Box 3776, Kathmandu, NepalFaculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, JapanGraduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, JapanWe drilled an 81.2-m-long ice core in the accumulation area (5860 m a.s.l.) of Trambau Glacier in the Rolwaling region during October–November 2019. The drilling operation was conducted with a lightweight electro-mechanical drill system after two reconnaissance fieldworks in 2017 and 2018, during which two shallow firn cores were drilled with a hand auger. The drill system and ice core samples were transported by helicopters at a high elevation of 6000 m a.s.l. A further challenging issue was the ice core transportation between Nepal and Japan, as no regular commercial flight was available for the frozen samples. The addition of dry ice imported from India immediately prior to leaving Nepal allowed the ice core samples to be successfully transported to a cold room in Japan, and remain in a frozen state. Stratigraphic observations during the drilling operation suggest the drill site has been affected by melting and refreezing.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S026030552100015X/type/journal_articleAccumulationice coremountain glaciers |
spellingShingle | Akane Tsushima Morihiro Miyahara Tetsuhide Yamasaki Nao Esashi Yota Sato Rijan B. Kayastha Ang J. B. Lama Sherpa Masaki Sano Koji Fujita Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya Annals of Glaciology Accumulation ice core mountain glaciers |
title | Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya |
title_full | Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya |
title_fullStr | Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya |
title_full_unstemmed | Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya |
title_short | Ice core drilling on a high-elevation accumulation zone of Trambau Glacier in the Nepal Himalaya |
title_sort | ice core drilling on a high elevation accumulation zone of trambau glacier in the nepal himalaya |
topic | Accumulation ice core mountain glaciers |
url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S026030552100015X/type/journal_article |
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