Joe Spins the Globe | Drilling for Science - The Making of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory @JoeSpinstheGlobe | Uploaded April 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Of all the science projects and experiments in Antarctica, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is by far the biggest and most difficult to build. Although the visible part of IceCube appears deceptively simple, the real challenge was placing the sensors that have allowed IceCube to make multiple major scientific discoveries.
See the Facility Tour and Science of IceCube here: youtu.be/gLbegYWCqkg
00:00 Intro
00:38 The Hot Water Drill
01:27 The Firn Layer
01:52 The Firn Drill
02:17 The Rod Well
02:52 Water tanks and pumps
03:26 The Boiler Array
04:08 Tower Operations Site
05:33 DOM placement
06:21 Seasonal logistics at the South Pole
07:22 Final thoughts
For a more technical breakdown of the drilling operation (and source for this video):
cambridge.org/core/journals/annals-of-glaciology/article/icecube-enhanced-hot-water-drill-functional-description/F2A93B250A9FDB4E8A94101787BA3A68
Video clips credit: IceCube Collaboration/NSF
The IceCube drill operation site 3D model created by myself and contains some publicly available RF models.
CORRECTION: The boiling point of water at 9000 ft is actually ~195 Fahrenheit; however due to atmospheric effects at the South Pole, the air pressure is much lower than an equivalent altitude somewhere else, making the boiling point around 190F
Of all the science projects and experiments in Antarctica, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is by far the biggest and most difficult to build. Although the visible part of IceCube appears deceptively simple, the real challenge was placing the sensors that have allowed IceCube to make multiple major scientific discoveries.
See the Facility Tour and Science of IceCube here: youtu.be/gLbegYWCqkg
00:00 Intro
00:38 The Hot Water Drill
01:27 The Firn Layer
01:52 The Firn Drill
02:17 The Rod Well
02:52 Water tanks and pumps
03:26 The Boiler Array
04:08 Tower Operations Site
05:33 DOM placement
06:21 Seasonal logistics at the South Pole
07:22 Final thoughts
For a more technical breakdown of the drilling operation (and source for this video):
cambridge.org/core/journals/annals-of-glaciology/article/icecube-enhanced-hot-water-drill-functional-description/F2A93B250A9FDB4E8A94101787BA3A68
Video clips credit: IceCube Collaboration/NSF
The IceCube drill operation site 3D model created by myself and contains some publicly available RF models.
CORRECTION: The boiling point of water at 9000 ft is actually ~195 Fahrenheit; however due to atmospheric effects at the South Pole, the air pressure is much lower than an equivalent altitude somewhere else, making the boiling point around 190F
