Ice core physical property data from Brunt Ice Shelf close to the site of Halley VI Research Station from 2023/2024 and 2024/2025
GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/02197
Abstract:
Ice core data collected from five boreholes at sites on the Brunt Ice Shelf close to the site of Halley VI Research Station. Sites S1 and S2 are drilled next to Halley VI Research Station, and are approximately 200 m apart. Sites S3, S4 and S5 are located 50 km from Halley research station, at the tip of Halloween Crack. Data files contain weights and lengths of ice cores from each site, as well as the temperature of each hole at various depths. Fracture toughness values are provided from cores collected at S2. Data were collected as part of the RIFT-TIP project.
This research has been supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (grant-no. NE/X014991/1).
Citation:
Pearce, E., Marsh, O., & Thomas, E. (2026). Ice core physical property data from Brunt Ice Shelf close to the site of Halley VI Research Station from 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/c059bb26-276d-4be6-ae8c-778aee12a3b4
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REFERENCE MATERIALS
- https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110000010496
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0422-7
- https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4904
VIEW RELATED INFORMATION
- https://www.bas.ac.uk/blogpost/we-can-see-whats-going-on-inside-an-ice-shelf-using-geophysics/
- https://www.bas.ac.uk/news/british-antarctic-survey-team-embarks-on-mission-to-investigate-iceberg-calving-in-antarctica/
- https://www.bas.ac.uk/news/scientists-one-step-closer-to-predicting-iceberg-calving/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGb_ENIGVzg&t=25s
License
| Access: | No restrictions apply |
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| Use: | This data is governed by the NERC data policy http://www.nerc.ac.uk/research/sites/data/policy/ and supplied under Open Government Licence v.3 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ |
Basic Information
| Creation Date: | 2026-04-30 |
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| Dataset Progress: | Complete |
| Dataset Language: | English |
| ISO Topic Categories: |
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| Parameters: |
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Additional Information
| Reference: | Pearce, E., Marsh, O. J., Mitchell, T. M., Tuhkuri, J., Thomas, E. R., and Johnson, S.: Impact of surface melt and brine infiltration on fracture toughness of ice shelves, EGUsphere [preprint], https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4904, 2025. Mulvaney, R., Bremner, S., Tait, A., and Audley, N.: A medium-depth ice core drill, Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research, 56, 82-90, 2002. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110000010496 Kuruppu, M. D., Obara, Y., Ayatollahi, M. R., Chong, K., and Fu-natsu, T.: ISRM-suggested method for determining the mode I static fracture toughness using semi-circular bend specimen, Rock Mech. Rock Eng., 47, 267-274, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0422-7 |
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| Quality: | Weight and core length measured in the field by hand, with some data fields missing. | |
| Lineage/Methodology: | A medium-depth mechanical ice core drill (Mulvaney et al., 2002) was used to recover a continuous ice core record. Each core section was approximately 105 mm in diameter, with lengths up to 90 cm, although section length varied during drilling. Drilling was stopped at 37 m depth after two days when brine infiltration saturated the ice and prevented further drilling progress. As cores were recovered, they were measured and weighed to obtain an average density with depth. Once ice core recovery was finished, seven TinyTag temperature loggers were placed at 2.5 m intervals down the borehole and left overnight to acquire temperature profile for the borehole. The loggers were then raised by 2 m and left for a further 3 hours to obtain additional temperature measurements. Ice cores were returned to the UK by the RRS Sir David Attenborough, being kept at a constant temperature of -20 deg C. They were then stored at the British Antarctic Survey's ice core facility, remaining at -20 deg C. Fracture toughness values: Following the method of Kuruppu et al. (2014), the fracture tests were performed using a compressive hydraulic test system with the facilities to record the load and axial displacement. The load application is performed via a conventional three-point bend fixture, with the sample placed on two cylindrical rollers. The sample is then loaded at a constant displacement rate of 0.01 mm s-1, with the displacement and the load recorded at 200 Hz. Our experimental approach includes refined fracture testing using a semi-circular bend specimen (SCB). This setup is particularly sensitive to differences in fracture behaviour in low-density samples such as firn, enabling more precise measurement of crack initiation and propagation, and offers tighter control over notch geometry and crack length than the three-point bending tests previously used on Antarctic shelf ice. This makes it especially effective for detecting toughness contrasts introduced by melt inclusions or brine. All samples were stored and prepared at -15 deg C. Experiments were conducted as quickly as possible in a room where temperatures fluctuated between -10 and -15 deg C at the University College London cold room facilities. Further methodological details can be found in Pearce et al., 2026 (https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4904). |
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Extent
| Temporal Coverage: | |
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| Start Date | 2024-01-13 |
| End Date | 2025-02-09 |
| Spatial Coverage: | |
| Latitude | |
| Southernmost | -75.567 |
| Northernmost | -75.3407 |
| Longitude | |
| Westernmost | -25.641 |
| Easternmost | -24.2571 |
| Altitude | |
| Min Altitude | N/A |
| Max Altitude | N/A |
| Depth | |
| Min Depth | 0m |
| Max Depth | 130m |
| Location: | |
| Location | Antarctica |
| Detailed Location | Brunt Ice Shelf |
Instrumentation
| Data Collection: | Data collected using shallow mechanical ice core drill from the British Antarctic Survey and ice fracture facilities at University College London. Temperature data recorded using TinyTag temperature loggers. |
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Storage
| Data Storage: | 7 csv files. Five containing ice core logs for site S1-S5, one containing temperature data for sites s1-s5 and a final containing fracture toughness values for assessed samples from site S2. Cores are recovered approximately every 80cm. Temperature data were recorded at depth intervals of around 10m. Where a core number has N/A but has a weight and length, this means the core was discarded but the data recorded for calculation of total hole depth. Where a core has a number but no weight or length recorded, this means the core was collected and stored, but has not been measured or analysed. Fracture toughness values in spreadsheet show repeated measurements of each of the samples to produce a standard deviation for the fracture toughness values. Site details: S1: -75.5670, -25.635; 110m depth, 139 core sections, drilled 13/01/2024-21/01/2024, temperature recorded 21/01/2024 S2: -75.566, -25.641; 34m depth, 44 core sections, drilled 23/01/2024-25/01/2024, temperature recorded 25/01/2024 S3: -75.3480, -24.2585; 130m depth, 156 core sections, drilled 19/01/2025-26/01/2025, temperature recorded 27/01/2025 S4: -75.3436, -24.2739; 25m depth, 24 core sections, drilled 28/01/2025-30/01/2025, temperature recorded 30/01/2025 S5: -75.3407, -24.2571; 121m depth, 138 core sections, drilled 03/02/2025-09/02/2025, temperature recorded 09/02/2025 |
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