A Digital Thermometer to Enhance High Resolution Borehole Paleothermometry at Siple Dome and Beyond: a Unique Opportunity

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

0087273 Waddington This award supports the development and testing of digital probes for high precision temperature measurements in boreholes in polar ice sheets. These measurements are key to obtaining calibrated paleotemperature records in the polar regions. The current state-of-the-art system is the USGS Polar Borehole Temperature Logging System (PBTS), which uses analog probe technology with the electronic package at the ice sheet surface. Strong winds can disturb the recording electronics, forcing the field team to modify logistics plans to produce high quality data. Probes that transmit digital signals up the cable would not be affected by these surface conditions, improving the efficiency of field operations. This project will adapt a recently-designed digital probe for use with the PBTS system in cold temperatures in polar drilling fluids. These probes will reduce some of the stringent hardware and procedural requirements of the current analog system. These new digital probes will be calibrated alongside the currently used sensors and will be tested at Siple Dome as part of an already-funded program of borehole temperature logging. The final product (in addition to a working borehole temperature logging system with new digital probes) will be a publication in the Journal of Glaciology describing the new probes, the comparisons, and the new research opportunities that digital probes can offer.