4th Symposium on Polar Science
National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Tokyo, Japan
12-15 November, 2013
NIPR is the research institute responsible for Japanese activities and logistics in Antarctica. It has several research centers on Antarctica topics. Among others there are meteorological, geological, glacier motion, life science, ice dynamics, etc. The Symposium on Polar Science has initiated in 2010 to promote multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary studies in Polar Regions. At the 4th Symposium on Polar Science Pavel Talalay as key speaker gave a talk “Exploration of Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, Eastern Antarctica: Background and plans for the future”.
International Symposium on Radioglaciology
University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA
9-13 September, 2013
The symposium took a comprehensive look at the latest technological innovations in radars and signal processing techniques for investigating ice-sheets, glaciers and their geophysical settings, with emphasis on polar and other logistically challenging settings. The symposium covered the latest technical improvements in radars and signal-processing techniques for polar research, recent measurements, and interpretations of recent observations. Alexey Markov gave two presentations:
1. “Relationship between layer boundaries with different dynamics parameters and surfaces of contrast reflection of radar signal in Antarctic ice sheet”
2. “New interpretations of radar profiles with so-called refrozen ice”
7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology
University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
9-13 September, 2013
The 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology took a comprehensive look at the latest technological innovations in ice drilling technology, including ice coring, borehole logging, subglacial sampling, core logging, handling and field logistics. The ice drilling community has continued to grow, and great technological advancements have been made since the last ice drilling technology workshop in 2006. Despite this, there are still numerous challenges that face the ice drilling community, such as fast access drilling, subglacial bedrock drilling, contamination-free sampling of subglacial water, in‐situ probes, and the identification of the next‐generation of drill fluids. The workshop gave a good chance to promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experience among many countries and individuals who are involved in ice drilling projects. PRC was presented by 11 teachers and students (Youhong Sun, Pavel Talalay, Huwein Xu, Pinlu Cao, Zhichuan Zheng, Rusheng Wang, Nan Zhang, Dahui Yu, Xiaopeng Fan, Cheng Yang, Jialin Hong) with totally 17 oral and poster presentations:
1. “Sediment vibrocorer for subglacial sampling”
2. “Autonomous sonde RECAS for environmental exploration of Antarctic subglacial lakes”
3. “Gear-pump as circulation device of the deep ice electromechanical drill: Design and tests”
4. “New generation of shallow ice drills”
5. “Electromechanical drill with air reverse circulation”
6. “General principles for the designing of hot-water ice drilling systems.
7. “IBED ice and bedrock electromechanical drill”
8. “Improvements of the drilling fluid processing for cable-suspended electromechanical drills”
9. “Modeling of drilling fluid contamination at the ice drilling sites”
10. “Low temperature, high precision pressure-temperature logger”
11. “The diamond drilling bits test for subglacial bedrocks sampling”
12. “Bedrock drilling project at Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in East Antarctica”
13. “Theory and experiment of ester drilling fluids for ice coring in Antarctica”
14. “Control system of IBED electromechanical drill”
15. “Design and test of anti-torque system of cable-suspended electromechanical drill”
16. “Discrete element modeling of cuttings transportation by ice coring auger”
17. “Rapid ice drilling concept with air continual transporting of cuttings and cores”
IDDO Technical Advisory Board meeting 2013
Madison, USA
9 September, 2013
IDDO members point by point reported about in-hand and developed drill systems and on-going and proposed projects. 10 PRC members (Youhong Sun, Huiwen Xu, Pinlu Cao, Zhichuan Zheng, Rusheng Wang, Nan Zhang, Dahui Yu, Xiaopeng Fan, Chen Yang, Jialin Hong) attended TAB meeting 2013 as guests because it was followed by 7th International Workshop on Ice Drilling Technology. Pavel Talalay, TAB member, gave three presentations:
1. “Recent events at Vostok station: an outside point of view”
2. “Chinese drilling projects in Antarctica: Dome A, Amery Ice Shelf and Subglacial Gamburtsev Mts”
3. “Drilling fluids for the future”
General Assembly 2013 of the European Geosciences Union (EGU)
Vienna, Austria
7-12 April, 2013
The EGU is a non-profit international union in the fields of Earth, planetary, and space sciences. Its most prominent event is the EGU General Assembly, an annual conference that covers a wide range of topics, including volcanology, planetary exploration, the Earth’s internal structure and atmosphere, climate change, and renewable energies. The EGU General Assembly 2013 was a great success with 4,684 oral, 8,207 poster, and, for the very first time, 452 PICO (Presenting Interactive COntent) presentations. PICO combines the advantages of both oral and poster presentations in an innovative type of presentation which provides the opportunity to interact with the audience. Every PICO author first presents shortly his/her work orally. Afterwards, all session attendees have enough time to watch the presentation again, to hold discussions with the author and with their colleagues, and to network. At the conference 11,167 scientists from 95 countries participated. Pavel Talalay attended the EGU General Assembly 2013 with presentations:
1. “Geoethical approach to mineral activities in Antarctica”
2. “New approaches to subglacial bedrock drilling technology”
