AWI ICE: Ice core repository

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

Contact

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

Location

Bremerhaven.

Website

https://www.awi.de/en/expedition/laboratories/ice-core-laboratories.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 and stored at AWI. The ice cores are derived partly by international drilling projects. Cryo-rooms (-10, -15, -20,  -30°C) are available for ice core processing, sample preparation and measurements.  A major part of AWI ICE is set up for processing ice cores: different types of vertical  and horizontal band saws enable to slice ice cores into sections to be packed for  shipping. Different saws (band, wire, and hand saws) as well as microtomes and a clean bench are available.

Services offered

Sample preparation includes further cutting, polishing, and cleaning of samples.  Physical property measurement systems 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 specialised measurements in the solid ice.

Unit of access:

Sampling day

What is included in the Access

The costs of the technicians or engineers to prepare, sample and send the samples are included. Material costs for sampling and packaging material for sending are included as well.
The typical duration of work is 1 to 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.

Availability for access in the 2024 call

Not available in the 2024 call.

Time frame for access preparation

–

Permits, licenses and training

–

Medical guidelines

No medical requirements.