A new thermal drilling system for high-altitude or temperate glaciers

For ice-core drilling on high-elevation glaciers, lightweight and modular electromechanical (EM) drills are used to allow for transportation by porters or pack animals. However, application of EM drills is constrained to glaciers with temperatures well below the ice melting point. When drilling into temperate ice, liquid water accumulates in the borehole, hindering chip transport, filling the chip barrel and finally blocking the drill. Drilling...