Ice drilling for blasting boreholes in deep seismic surveys (JARE-43) by steam type drilling system

Abstract

A seismic exploration was accomplished in the austral summer of 2001-2002 by the 43rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-43) along a profile oblique to that held by JARE-41 on the Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica. We used a steam type drilling system to obtain seven blasting boreholes. We spent 7 to 8 hours to make an enough depth of the hole for one shot point. The holes were 35 to 40 cm in diameter and 23.5 to 28.7 m in depth. The average drilling speed was 3.25 m/hr.