Ever thought about climbing Mount Everest? What about climbing and Mount Everest whilst recording data from drilling? A team of scientists from Aberystwyth University and the University of Leeds have traveled to Khumbu Glacier which is in the foothills of the mighty Mount Everest. The team will be collecting data loggers that were installed during their last trip to drill and carry out borehole logging on the Mountain. Now the data loggers will have recorded the last 12 months which means they can use the data to predict future climate changes. Now you may be thinking, what are borehole logging services?
Borehole logging is used to explore the properties of a certain area of earth. The borehole itself is the excavated earth which allows equipment to be lowered down to collect data. The team spent a total of 3 days drilling into the glacier which allowed them to lower a 360o camera in. This fantastic camera was developed by Robertson Geologging who are developer of slimhole digital wireline & borehole logging systems. Based in North Wales, the company are no stranger to developing high quality and innovative equipment, helping companies all over the world explore the earth and its properties.
The data collected during this trip will enable researchers to further understand how the glacier changes over time, from climate change and temperature to how water drains through it. It will also allow the team to put new equipment to the test which includes a water heating and pressurising tool which would allow drilling into ice at an elevation of 6000 metres! This is a great innovation as previously, research teams have had to use commercial car wash units in order to produce the hot water for drilling at such elevations.
With the use of fluorescent dye, the team will be able to track the flow of water, allowing us to understand how it flows through the glacier. Up until today, it has been believed that water enters the glacier only as ice melts before exiting through its margins. Adding the fluorescent dye to the water will help us better understand if we are missing a step and in turn, allow us to improve computer models for predicting future changes. This is extremely useful knowledge as understanding the flow of water through the glacier helps inform communities downstream of the water availability, an essential piece of information.
As with any exploration, there are challenges. With this expedition, the weight of the equipment is one of them. With equipment weighing over 1500 kg, half of it will be airlifted by a helicopter whilst the other half carried up by local porters and the team. The drill used will be powered by a mighty 3 Honda generators, a company known for their power and strong builds.
It will definitely be interesting to find out the results of the study and further explore the inner workings of such a fascinating part of the earth.
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