Winkie Drill

The Winkie Drill is a commercially-available rock coring system originally purchased by IDP in 2015. IDP has implemented upgrades to add ice augering and ice coring capabilities. The system has a depth capability of 120 meters and creates ice and rock cores 33.4 mm in diameter.

The system was deployed on its first science project during the 2016-2017 season. The drill performed well, drilling 8 holes between 12-54 meters depth. Rock cores between 28-67 cm in length were collected in five of the holes and a semi-consolidated sediment core was retrieved from one hole. Modifications were subsequently made to accommodate a request for larger core diameter (71.7 mm) as well as replacement of the gas engine with an electric motor, for improved reliability and to allow for operation within a tent. The drill was again used successfully during the 2017-2018 season in Ong Valley, Antarctica, where two continuous mixed-media cores were collected to a depth of 9.45 meters and 12.36 meters. In 2018, IDP engineers incorporated modifications for use of the drill in areas where surface firn covers the ice and bedrock below. The modifications proved successful during the 2019-2020 season, with the drilling of six access holes and collection of three bedrock samples between 34-41 meters depth. In 2020 and 2021, IDP built a second Winkie Drill, referred to as Winkie 2, to meet funded field project demands. In early 2021, IDP engineers tested a new ice bit outside of Madison, WI. Several IDP staff members received preliminary hands-on training during this test. A new fluid chiller was also designed, fabricated and tested to mitigate warm temperatures and drilling-related challenges witnessed on Thwaites Glacier.

The Winkie Drill is one of two rock coring drills in the IDP inventory (see also ASIG Drill).