IGERT's visit historic GISP2 Ice Core site

IGERT's at GISP2 Ice Core borehole

A metal cylinder protrudes from the Greenland Ice Sheet. An IGERT photo opportunity?

Absolutely, considering this metal cylinder changed how humanity views its production of CO2, nitrous oxide, sulfuric and nitric acids, CFC’s and other “greenhouse” gases (U. New Hampshire).

Prior to being a year-round research station, Summit Camp was the drilling site of the Greenland Ice Coring Project (GISP2). Drilled from 1989—1993, GISP2 is the deepest (3053.44 meters) and longest ice core record (>100,000 years) in the northern hemisphere.

The GISP2 ice-core record provides a continuous and detailed record of fluctuations in accumulation and climate variability over central Greenland. The GISP2 ice core, in conjunction with the GRIP deep ice core, revealed that exceptionally large climate changes (more than 20° C warming) can occur over much shorter time periods (5 to 40 years) than previously suspected (Cuffey et al., 1995)

In total, forty-two types of measurements composed the GISP2 deep drilling effort. The borehole, what remains after the conclusion of drilling, is filled with a fluid that keeps the borehole stable/open. The borehole can then be monitored via temperature-logging. The current metal casing may be in need of repair in order to keep the borehole available for future logging. Hopefully the National Science Foundation can find a way to maintain the GISP2 borehole, keeping the historic ice core borehole available for future measurements.

Cuffey, et al., “Large Arctic Temperature Change at the Wisconsin-Holocene Glacial Transition”  Science, Vol. 270, No. 5235, pp. 455-458, Oct. 20th 1995

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