Winter Teacher Workshop 5 December 2009
Hollings Marine Laboratory

Drilling for sea-ice diatoms using a giant auger!

Most sea ice diatoms live inside the bottom layer of sea ice. To retrieve sea ice diatom samples, scientists use several methods. One such method is to utilize a giant auger originally designed for drilling holes for telephone line poles. This video was taken during a research expedition funded by NSF and led by Dr. James Raymond during the 2002/2003 austral summer in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The thickness of sea ice in the location being drilled is approximately 12-15 feet (4-5 meters). Video courtesy of Dr. Michael Janech

Close-up Pictures showing the chunks of ice and sea-ice diatoms retrieved