Thermal design of an Antarctic water well

The thermal and mechanical aspects of a potable water reservoir, formed at depth in a permanent snowfield in Antarctica, are detailed. The thermal model can be used for preliminary design, to predict reservoir size and depth, water temperature and mass, and energy requirements as a function of time. Predictions are made for the South Pole environment, but the model is valid for other permanent snowfields. The reservoir characteristics are influenced by the rate and timing of potable water removal during the lifetime of the reservoir.