Isua, Greenland: Glacier Freezing Study.

• Main Author: Ashton,George D.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1975
• Subjects: Mining Engineering; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *GLACIERS; *GREENLAND; HEAT TRANSFER; ABLATION; EXPOSURE(GENERAL); COOLING; FREEZING; COOLANTS; MINERALS; DRILLING; *Glacier flow; Isua(Greenland); *Iron ore deposits; Greenland; glacier; Ice; Ice Sheet; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA009705; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA009705

A scheme for cooling the lower portion of the edge of the Greenland ice sheet, which abuts a potential mining operation, is examined. The magnitude of cooling which may be accomplished by drilling a series of holes about the periphery of the mine site is determined as a function of hole size, spacing and time. Refrigeration is accomplished by pumping a coolant downhole in a central pipe, then uphole in an annulus between the pipe and hole wall, and then through a thin-walled pipe exposed to the surface climate above the ice sheet. It was found possible to achieve a temperature change in the ice of the order of --1C with hole spacings and pumping requirements which are considered reasonable. Other effects are briefly examined and include an estimate of the basal water thickness and flow rates. See also report dated Jul 73, AD-766 300.