A modification of the hand auger, the Prairie Dog includes a stationary outer barrel that allows operations in solid ice as well as firn. The depth limit is approximately 30 meters (with a Sidewinder). The system is commonly used in warm ice conditions where the two-barrel design aids in chip transport during coring. The system was used in both Wyoming and Montana in 2013 for ice patch coring and again near the Wyoming/Montana border in 2016 and 2018. The system is slated for use in Alaska and Wyoming in the summers for 2026 and 2027.
Equipment Details
| Name | Prairie Dog Drill |
|---|---|
| Type |
Type
Ice coring
|
| Number in Inventory |
Number in Inventory
1
|
| Max. Practical Depth |
Max. Practical Depth
30 m
|
| Hole Diameter |
Hole Diameter
141 mm (5.6 inches)
|
| Ice Core Diameter |
Ice Core Diameter
98 mm (3.9 inches)
|
| Ice Core Length |
Ice Core Length
1 m
|
| IDP Driller Required? |
IDP Driller Required?
Yes, 1 driller
|
| Drill Fluid Required? |
Drill Fluid Required?
No
|
| Power Requirements/ Source |
Power Requirements/ Source
Hand-powered; 2 kW generator or solar cells if using the Sidewinder |
| Estimated Drilling Time |
Estimated Drilling Time
5 m - 2 hours |
| Helicopter Transportable? |
Helicopter Transportable?
Yes
|
| Light Aircraft Transportable? |
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Yes
|
| Shipping Weight |
Shipping Weight
100 lbs |
| Shipping Volume (Cube) |
Shipping Cube
6 |
| Comments |
Documents
| Citation | Year |
|---|---|
| NSF Ice Drilling Program (2019) Prairie Dog Drill Operations and Maintenance Manual. 1-14. | 2019 |
| Jay D Kyne, Joseph McConnell (2007) The Prairie Dog: a double-barrel coring drill for 'hand' augering. Annals of Glaciology, 47, 99-100. doi: 10.3189/172756407786857703. https://doi.org/10.3189/172756407786857703 | 2007 |
Photos
A field team led by Craig Lee (INSTAAR, UC-Boulder) and co-principal investigators David McWethy (Montana State University) and Greg Pederson (US Geological Survey) use the Prairie Dog Drill to recover a core from an ice patch in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Credit: Chris Boyer
A field team led by Craig Lee (INSTAAR, UC-Boulder) and co-principal investigators David McWethy (Montana State University) and Greg Pederson (US Geological Survey) use the Prairie Dog Drill to recover a core from an ice patch in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Credit: Chris Boyer
Shipping weight/cubes does not include the generator, Sidewinder or 4-inch hand auger normally used with this drill.