AWI ICE: Ice core repository

Research infrastructure is owned by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)

Contact

Ilka Weikusat, ilka.weikusat[at]awi.de

Location

Bremerhaven.

Website

https://www.awi.de/forschung/geowissenschaften/glaziologie/werkzeuge/eiskernlabore.html

Facilities

About 20 km of ice cores of varying drill-lengths (up to 3000 m long) originating mainly from Greenland and Antarctica are curated by AWI and stored in and nearby Bremerhaven. The ice cores are derived partly by international drilling projects. Cryo-laboratories (-10, -15, -20, -30°C) are available for ice core processing, sample preparation and measurements. A major part []is set up for processing ice cores: different types of vertical and horizontal band saws enable to slice ice cores into specialized sample aliquotes to be packed for shipping. Different saws (band, wire, and hand saws) as well as microtomes and a clean bench are available.

Services offered

Within the various ice core projects (up to 12 partner nations) basic and sophisticated datasets (e.g. https://pangaea.de, https://zenodo.org) as well as relevant publications are already available, which shall be used for your pilot survey beforehand. This will help to formulate a substantive sample request. The SCs of these international projects are the owners of the material, and will thus review and evaluate all sample request proposals.

In case of approval AWI Glaciology can support you with experienced technicians or staff scientists in taking samples for a variety of analyses. Sample preparation includes further cutting, polishing, and cleaning of samples. Physical property measurement systems and datasets are available, such as visual stratigraphy line scanning, large area scanning macroscope, optical light microscopy and automated fabric analyser. Further cryo-applications (μCT, Raman spectroscopy) set-up in cryo-warm-room combinations enable more specialized measurements in the solid ice.

Unit of access:

Sampling day

What is included in the Access

A basic estimate of parts of the costs for the technicians or engineers to handle ice core box logistics, data base work, to prepare, sample and send the samples are included. Material costs for sampling and packaging material for sending are included. Shipping costs for cryo cargo are included.
The typical duration of work for you is minimum 3 days. Integration into the scheduling of the infrastructure will be decided individually and in close dialogue with the involved scientist to ensure smooth operation for all involved parts.
Your travel costs are included.

Availability for access in the 2026 call

–

Time frame for access preparation

Minimum 4 weeks after approval by Steering committee

Permits, licenses and training

Safety instruction for work at -20°C

Medical guidelines

Access to ice laboratories only in good state of health (check by self-responsibility for your own safety!)