Development of a Vertically Stabilized Thermal Probe for Studies in and Below Ice Sheets

Abstract

The pendulum probe is described. It is an instrumented device that penetrates polar ice sheets for remote measurements of geophysical parameters. It can only move downward by melt penetration; its instrumentation is permanently installed, sealed in the ice. The power requirements and operating costs are derived from the heat transfer analysis. The pendulum steering principle, which assures a vertical probe attitude and course, also explains its performance flexibility. The results from the first trials verify the probe’s feasibility and supply additional design information. The probe offers a unique opportunity for access to, and study of, the Antarctic Ocean waters under the Ross and Filchner ice shelves.