Rapid Air Movement Drill

The Rapid Air Movement (RAM) Drill was developed for creating shot holes for seismic geophysical exploration. The system uses high-velocity air to drive rotating cutters and blow ice chips from the hole. The cutting drill motor hangs on a hose that carries the air from the surface and is reeled out as the hole deepens. The original RAM Drill was used three times in West Antarctica, where it routinely achieved depths of 90 meters. The Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) project used the drill in 2010-2011 to test methods of producing holes for radio antennae at South Pole but could not get deeper than 63 meters at that location.

In 2017, substantial modifications were made to reduce the system’s logistical requirements, resulting in the RAM 2 system (Gibson et al., 2021). The modifications reduced the system weight and allowed for easier assembly and operations in remote areas. A field test was conducted near Raven Camp in Greenland in July 2018 and the drill was shipped to Antarctica in September 2018. The system was tested by two IDP personnel at WAIS Divide during the 2019-2020 field season where the drill routinely achieved between 50-55 m depth. Smaller RAM 2 compressors may eventually be optimized to provide the necessary airflow for deeper holes. During an abbreviated 2022-2023 Antarctic season, the RAM 2 Drill was used to drill 27 holes and operational data for the system was collected. The system was used again during the 2023-2024 season to drill 13 holes to a max depth of 45 m near WAIS Divide Camp. The system was to be used on Thwaites Glacier, but the PistenBully 100 provided by the logistics provider proved to be inadequate for towing the drill, and the Small Hot Water Drill was used in place of the RAM Drill.

Current Status

The RAM Drill returned to IDP in spring 2025 after extended seven-year storage and periodic use in Antarctica. System maintenance, particularly on the compressors, would be required prior to the drill’s use on another field project.