Drilling and installation of boreholes for permafrost thermal monitoring on Livingston Island in the maritime Antarctic

• Main Authors: Ramos, M, Hasler, A, Vieira, G, Hauck, C, Gruber, S
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2009
• Subjects: Institute of Geography; 910 Geography & travel; Earth-Surface Processes; Antarctic; Livingston Island; Antarc*; Antarctica; permafrost; Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Online Access: https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/31590/; https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/31590/8/Ramos_PermafrostPermaglacProcesses_2009_V.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-31590; https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.635

Three new boreholes up to 25 m deep were drilled on Mount Reina Sofía (275 m a.s.l.), Livingston Island, where previous near-surface temperature measurements (mean annual ground temperatures of -2.1 to -2.6°C) have indicated the presence of permafrost. A thermistor chain and logging system were installed in the deepest borehole, while the others were equipped with individual miniature temperature loggers (iButtons). Initial data from the 25 m borehole indicates a permafrost body several decametres thick. Future data from these boreholes are expected to provide insight into ground temperature evolution in maritime Antarctica. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.