Stampfli Drill

Description

The Stampfli 2-Inch Drill is a lightweight electromechanical drill that takes a 57 mm (2-inch) diameter core. The drill was purchased from Dieter Stampfli in Switzerland to meet requests from the community for a lightweight, PI-operable system capable of collecting core down to 100-meters depth. The drill is configured with a winch and cable for 100 meters depth and is powered by batteries, which can be charged by either a small generator or a set of solar panels. The drill is very field portable. The drill system fits inside one helicopter or twin otter, and is packed in pieces that can be lifted by one person and transported up a mountain solely by a human on foot or skis. A lightweight Tentipi Safir tent for use with the system is also available.

The system was deployed for an NSF-funded field project in summer 2018 in the Yukon Territory, Canada, where it was operated by the science team to collect one firn core to 10 m depth and another to 20 m depth. In 2019, a science team successfully collected a 50 m core from the summit plateau of Mt. Hunter in Denali National Park, Alaska.

Equipment Details

Name Stampfli Drill
Type
Type
Ice coring
Number in Inventory
Number in Inventory
1
Max. Practical Depth
Max. Practical Depth
100 m
Hole Diameter
Hole Diameter
72 mm (2.8 inches)
Ice Core Diameter
Ice Core Diameter
57 mm (2.2 inches)
Ice Core Length
Ice Core Length
0.8 m
IDP Driller Required?
IDP Driller Required?
No
Drill Fluid Required?
Drill Fluid Required?
No
Power Requirements/Source
Power Requirements/Source
Solar panels or 2 kW generator
Estimated Drilling Time
Estimated Drilling Time

20 m - 3 hr
50 m - 14 hr
100 m - 40 hr

Time to Move (breakdown and setup)
Time to Move (breakdown and setup)
1 hour
Helicopter Transportable?
Helicopter Transportable?
Yes
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Yes
Shipping Weight
Shipping Weight

380 lbs (including tent, excluding generator)

Shipping Volume (Cube)
Shipping Cube

appx 37

Comments
Comments

Operable in ambient temperatures down to -25°C. A back-packable tent for housing drilling operations is also included.

Documents

Citation Year
NSF Ice Drilling Program (2023) Stampfli Drill Operations and Maintenance Manual. 1-22. 2023
Erich Osterberg, Karl Kreutz, Sarah Das (2016) Science Requirements: Stampfli 2-Inch Drill. 2016

Photos

Project History

2019 Arctic - Alaska: Exploration of the Denali Basal Ice Core Archive
2018 Arctic - Canada/St. Elias Mountains: Geophysical reconnaissance to expand ice core hydroclimate reconstructions in the Northeast Pacific

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