In PY 2014, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) gifted its 4 km logging winch to IDP for continued use by the polar logging community. The winch was used extensively for logging boreholes in both Greenland and Antarctica and was last deployed during the 2014-2015 Antarctic season for logging at WAIS Divide. Gary Clow, the former predominant operator of the winch, has trained the IDP staff on the set-up, operation, crating, maintenance and troubleshooting of the winch.
The USGS winch is capable of logging boreholes 4400 meters deep. The cable is a standard four-conductor logging cable headed with a standard 1-inch outer-diameter Gearhart-Owen variant. The winch has a broadband slip-ring connector enabling it to transmit both analog and high speed digital signals from DC to 250 MHz.
Equipment Details
| Name | USGS Deep Logging Winch |
|---|---|
| Type |
Type
Logging
|
| Number in Inventory |
Number in Inventory
1
|
| Max. Practical Depth |
Max. Practical Depth
4400 m
|
| IDP Driller Required? |
IDP Driller Required?
Yes (usually)
|
| Power Requirements/Source |
Power Requirements/Source
208 V (Hubbell 231A) and 120 V; 10 kW generator
|
| Helicopter Transportable? |
Helicopter Transportable?
No
|
| Light Aircraft Transportable? |
Light Aircraft Transportable?
No
|
| Shipping Weight |
Shipping Weight
4,260 lbs |
| Shipping Volume (Cube) |
Shipping Cube
135 |
| Comments |
Documents
| Citation | Year |
|---|---|
| U.S. Ice Drilling Program (2019) USGS Deep Logging Winch Operations and Maintenance Manual. 1-23. | 2019 |
| IDDO (2017) Logging Tool Testing: An Informational Guide - Logging Tool Equipment Testing at IDDO. 1-13. | 2017 |
| Gary D Clow (2008) USGS Polar Temperature Logging System, Description and Measurement Uncertainties. U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 2-E3, 1-24. https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/02e03/ | 2008 |
Photos
IDP driller/winch operator Elizabeth Morton assists with borehole logging operations at WAIS Divide, Antarctica, during the 2011-2012 summer field season. Credit: Kristina Slawny
View of the inside of the borehole logging tent at WAIS Divide, Antarctica, and the USGS Deep Logging Winch (for logging boreholes up to 4400-meters deep) during the 2014-2015 summer field season. Credit: Don Voigt
Project History
| 2014-2015 Antarctic - Temperature Logging of the WAIS Divide Borehole, West Antarctica |
| 2014-2015 Antarctic - Seismic Logging of the WAIS Divide Borehole, West Antarctica |
| 2014-2015 Antarctic - Optical Fabric and Fiber Logging of Glacial Ice |
| 2014-2015 Antarctic - Velvet Ice – Evolution of Fabric and Texture in Ice at WAIS Divide, West Antarctica |
Weights and dimensions above do not include a generator or fuel