The IDP Eclipse Drills are modified Eclipse Drills originally manufactured by Icefield Instruments, Inc. The drill is an electromechanical system capable of collecting 81 mm (3.2-inch) diameter cores to depths of approximately 300 m. The drill system is transportable by small aircraft or helicopter. IDP has two Eclipse Drill systems that it regularly deploys.
In 2013, IDP designed and fabricated a solar and wind power system for use with the drill at a field site where use of a generator was not desirable/permitted. The solar/wind unit could benefit from updates and redesigned for lighter logistics. In 2017, IDP completed a redesign of the aging control boxes and readout boxes to provide simplified operation, weight reduction and new sealed cases. In 2018, new cover panels were implemented for the traversing system. New load pins and load pin amplifiers were implemented to make the load sense circuit more robust. In 2024, clearances were also opened up in the Gearhart-Owen cable bearing sections following some issues during the 2023-2024 field season. Beneficial updates have been made to the Operations and Maintenance Manual.
Current Status
Two Eclipse Drills are available for use. One is referred to as the ‘standard’ Eclipse Drill and the other as the ‘traversing’ Eclipse Drill, since it is sled mounted. IDP continues to research appropriate tents for use with the Eclipse Drills after experiencing stability issues during high winds with Mountain Hardwear Space Station tents and Axion inflatable tents. New cover panels were again purchased for the traversing system in 2026, after they returned from Antarctica damaged, as well as fishing tools and cable grips. IDP also implemented new twist-style quick lock pins for the core barrel connection to ease surface operations. IDP is currently revisiting the readout box design and plans to re-anodize motor section components, mitigate GFCI issues and winch motor snow ingress issues, and purchase generators to avoid issues with the aging fleet of equipment in Antarctica.
Equipment Details
| Name | Eclipse Drill |
|---|---|
| Type |
Type
Ice coring
|
| Number in Inventory |
Number in Inventory
2
|
| Max. Practical Depth |
Max. Practical Depth
300 m
|
| Hole Diameter |
Hole Diameter
113 mm (4.4 inches)
|
| Ice Core Diameter |
Ice Core Diameter
81 mm (3.2 inches)
|
| Ice Core Length |
Ice Core Length
1 m
|
| IDP Driller Required? |
IDP Driller Required?
Yes, 1 driller (2 people required for drill operation)
|
| Drill Fluid Required? |
Drill Fluid Required?
No
|
| Power Requirements/ Source |
Power Requirements/ Source
120 V, 3 kW generator or Solar and wind power system |
| Estimated Drilling Time |
Estimated Drilling Time
100 m - 60 hours |
| Time to Move (Breakdown and Setup) |
Time to Move (Breakdown and Setup)
4 hours |
| Helicopter Transportable? |
Helicopter Transportable?
Yes
|
| Light Aircraft Transportable? |
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Yes
|
| Shipping Weight |
Shipping Weight
1300 lbs |
| Shipping Volume (Cube) |
Shipping Cube
70 |
| Comments |
Documents
| Citation | Year |
|---|---|
| Joanne S Johnson, John Woodward, Ian Nesbitt, Kate Winter, Seth Campbell, Keir Nichols, Ryan Venturelli, Scott Braddock, Brent Goehring, Brenda Hall, Dylan H Rood, Greg Balco (2025) Assessing the suitability of sites near Pine Island Glacier for subglacial bedrock drilling aimed at detecting Holocene retreat–readvance. The Cryosphere, 19, 303-324. doi: 10.5194/tc-19-303-2025. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025 | 2025 |
| NSF Ice Drilling Program (2024) Eclipse Drill Operations and Maintenance Manual. 1-62. | 2024 |
| Pavel Talalay, Xiaopeng Fan, Zhichuan Zheng, Jun Xue, Pinlu Cao, Nan Zhang, Rusheng Wang, Dahui Yu, Chengfeng Yu, Yunlong Zhang, Qi Zhang, Kai Su, Dongdong Yang, Jiewei Zhan (2014) Anti-torque systems of electromechanical cable-suspended drills and test results. Annals of Glaciology, 55, (68), 207-218. doi: 10.3189/2014AoG68A025. https://doi.org/10.3189/2014AoG68A025 | 2014 |
| Vladimir Aizen, Christine Foreman, Andrei Kurbatov, Erich Osterberg, Eric J Steig (2011) 10 year plan for Shallow Coring Capabilities (1-400 m deep). 2011 Ice Drilling Science Community Planning Workshop, April 15-16, 2011, Herndon, Virginia, USA, 1-5. | 2011 |
| Erik W Blake, Cameron P Wake, Michael D Gerasimoff (1998) The ECLIPSE drill: a field-portable intermediate-depth ice-coring drill. Journal of Glaciology, 44, (146), 175-178. doi: 10.3189/S0022143000002471. https://doi.org/10.3189/S0022143000002471 | 1998 |
Photos
Drilling with the Eclipse Drill at Mount Waesche, West Antarctica, during the 2024/25 field season. Credit. Nels Iverson.
Drilling with the Eclipse Drill at Allan Hills, Antarctica. The borehole on the left was started during the 2023/24 field season. The borehole on the right, where the Eclipse Drill is positioned in the photo, was drilled during the 2024/25 field season. Credit: Andrew Haala.
Traversing the Eclipse Drill at Mount Waesche, Antarctica, during the 2024-2025 field season. Credit: Elliot Moravec.
Jay Johnson operates the Eclipse Drill at Summit, Greenland, during the 2024 field season. Credit: Jay Johnson.
Dr. Sarah Shackleton, Elizabeth Morton, and Mike Jayred inside the drill tent for the Eclipse Drill during the 2023/24 field season at Allan Hills, Antarctica. Credit: Peter Neff, COLDEX.
Eclipse Drill set-up for access hole drilling to bedrock at Winkie Nunatak in the Hudson Mountains, Antarctica, for the C-443 GHC project (PI Ryan Venturelli) during the 2022/23 field season. Credit: Elliot Moravec
Drilling tent and Eclipse Drill in operation at a snowy Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2015-2016 summer field season. Credit: Mike Waszkiewicz
The Eclipse Drill at Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2015-2016 summer field season. Credit: Yuzhan Yan
A solar and wind power system in use for Eclipse drilling in Denali National Park during the 2013 field season. Credit: Mike Waszkiewicz
Mike Waszkiewicz (left) and Brad Markle (right) inside the drill tent with the Eclipse Drill during the 2013 field season at Mt. Hunder, Denali National Park, Alaska. Credit: Dominic Winski
One of the shallow drill sites at Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2009-2010 summer field season. Credit: Mike Waszkiewicz
(L to R) John Higgins, Nicole Spaulding and Andrei Kurbatov approach a shallow drill site at Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2009-2010 summer field season. Credit: Mike Waszkiewicz
Mike Waszkiewicz (right) drills with the Eclipse Drill while John Higgins (left) packs core at Allan Hills, Antarctica, during the 2009-2010 summer field season. Credit: Andrei Kurbatov
Complete unit operating ~800 lbs. Heaviest component is the winch (on sled) 400 lbs. Winch control box 250 lbs.