TY  - JOUR
A1  - German, Laura
A1  - Mikucki, Jill A.
A1  - Welch, Susan A.
A1  - Welch, Kathleen A.
A1  - Lutton, Anthony
A1  - Dachwald, Bernd
A1  - Kowalski, Julia
A1  - Heinen, Dirk
A1  - Feldmann, Marco
A1  - Francke, Gero
A1  - Espe, Clemens
A1  - Lyons, W. Berry
T1  - Validation of sampling antarctic subglacial hypersaline waters with an electrothermal ice melting probe (IceMole) for environmental analytical geochemistry
JF  - International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
N2  - Geochemical characterisation of hypersaline waters is difficult as high concentrations of salts hinder the analysis of constituents at low concentrations, such as trace metals, and the collection of samples for trace metal analysis in natural waters can be easily contaminated. This is particularly the case if samples are collected by non-conventional techniques such as those required for aquatic subglacial environments. In this paper we present the first analysis of a subglacial brine from Taylor Valley, (~ 78°S), Antarctica for the trace metals: Ba, Co, Mo, Rb, Sr, V, and U. Samples were collected englacially using an electrothermal melting probe called the IceMole. This probe uses differential heating of a copper head as well as the probe’s sidewalls and an ice screw at the melting head to move through glacier ice. Detailed blanks, meltwater, and subglacial brine samples were collected to evaluate the impact of the IceMole and the borehole pump, the melting and collection process, filtration, and storage on the geochemistry of the samples collected by this device. Comparisons between melt water profiles through the glacier ice and blank analysis, with published studies on ice geochemistry, suggest the potential for minor contributions of some species Rb, As, Co, Mn, Ni, NH4+, and NO2−+NO3− from the IceMole. The ability to conduct detailed chemical analyses of subglacial fluids collected with melting probes is critical for the future exploration of the hundreds of deep subglacial lakes in Antarctica.
Y1  - 2021
U6  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2019.1704750
SN  - 0306-7319
VL  - 101
IS  - 15
SP  - 2654
EP  - 2667
PB  - Taylor & Francis
CY  - London
ER  - 
TY  - RPRT
A1  - Blandford, Daniel
A1  - Dachwald, Bernd
A1  - Digel, Ilya
A1  - Espe, Clemens
A1  - Feldmann, Marco
A1  - Francke, Gero
A1  - Hiecke, Hannah
A1  - Kowalski, Julia
A1  - Lindner, Peter
A1  - Plescher, Engelbert
A1  - Schöngarth, Sarah
T1  - Enceladus Explorer : Schlussbericht —  Version: 1.0
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://dx.doi.org/10.2314/GBV:86319950X
N1  - Förderkennzeichen BMWi 50NA1206
PB  - FH Aachen
CY  - Aachen
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kowalski, Julia
A1  - Linder, Peter
A1  - Zierke, S.
A1  - Wulfen, B. van
A1  - Clemens, J.
A1  - Konstantinidis, K.
A1  - Ameres, G.
A1  - Hoffmann, R.
A1  - Mikucki, J.
A1  - Tulaczyk, S.
A1  - Funke, O.
A1  - Blandfort, D.
A1  - Espe, Clemens
A1  - Feldmann, Marco
A1  - Francke, Gero
A1  - Hiecker, S.
A1  - Plescher, Engelbert
A1  - Schöngarth, Sarah
A1  - Dachwald, Bernd
A1  - Digel, Ilya
A1  - Artmann, Gerhard
A1  - Eliseev, D.
A1  - Heinen, D.
A1  - Scholz, F.
A1  - Wiebusch, C.
A1  - Macht, S.
A1  - Bestmann, U.
A1  - Reineking, T.
A1  - Zetzsche, C.
A1  - Schill, K.
A1  - Förstner, R.
A1  - Niedermeier, H.
A1  - Szumski, A.
A1  - Eissfeller, B.
A1  - Naumann, U.
A1  - Helbing, K.
T1  - Navigation technology for exploration of glacier ice with maneuverable melting probes
JF  - Cold Regions Science and Technology
N2  - The Saturnian moon Enceladus with its extensive water bodies underneath a thick ice sheet cover is a potential candidate for extraterrestrial life. Direct exploration of such extraterrestrial aquatic ecosystems requires advanced access and sampling technologies with a high level of autonomy. A new technological approach has been developed as part of the collaborative research project Enceladus Explorer (EnEx). The concept is based upon a minimally invasive melting probe called the IceMole. The force-regulated, heater-controlled IceMole is able to travel along a curved trajectory as well as upwards. Hence, it allows maneuvers which may be necessary for obstacle avoidance or target selection. Maneuverability, however, necessitates a sophisticated on-board navigation system capable of autonomous operations. The development of such a navigational system has been the focal part of the EnEx project. The original IceMole has been further developed to include relative positioning based on in-ice attitude determination, acoustic positioning, ultrasonic obstacle and target detection integrated through a high-level sensor fusion. This paper describes the EnEx technology and discusses implications for an actual extraterrestrial mission concept.
Y1  - 2016
U6  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.11.006
SN  - 0165-232X
IS  - 123
SP  - 53
EP  - 70
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dachwald, Bernd
A1  - Mikucki, Jill
A1  - Tulaczyk, Slawek
A1  - Digel, Ilya
A1  - Espe, Clemens
A1  - Feldmann, Marco
A1  - Francke, Gero
A1  - Kowalski, Julia
A1  - Xu, Changsheng
T1  - IceMole : A maneuverable probe for clean in situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial aquatic ecosystems
JF  - Annals of Glaciology
N2  - There is significant interest in sampling subglacial environments for geobiological studies, but they are difficult to access. Existing ice-drilling technologies make it cumbersome to maintain microbiologically clean access for sample acquisition and environmental stewardship of potentially fragile subglacial aquatic ecosystems. The IceMole is a maneuverable subsurface ice probe for clean in situ analysis and sampling of glacial ice and subglacial materials. The design is based on the novel concept of combining melting and mechanical propulsion. It can change melting direction by differential heating of the melting head and optional side-wall heaters. The first two prototypes were successfully tested between 2010 and 2012 on glaciers in Switzerland and Iceland. They demonstrated downward, horizontal and upward melting, as well as curve driving and dirt layer penetration. A more advanced probe is currently under development as part of the Enceladus Explorer (EnEx) project. It offers systems for obstacle avoidance, target detection, and navigation in ice. For the EnEx-IceMole, we will pay particular attention to clean protocols for the sampling of subglacial materials for biogeochemical analysis. We plan to use this probe for clean access into a unique subglacial aquatic environment at Blood Falls, Antarctica, with return of a subglacial brine sample.
KW  - Antarctic Glaciology
KW  - Extraterrestrial Glaciology
KW  - Glaciological instruments and methods
KW  - Subclacial exploration
KW  - Subglacial lakes
Y1  - 2014
U6  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/2014AoG65A004
SN  - 1727-5644
VL  - 55
IS  - 65
SP  - 14
EP  - 22
PB  - Cambridge University Press
CY  - Cambridge
ER  - 
TY  - CHAP
A1  - Dachwald, Bernd
A1  - Feldmann, Marco
A1  - Espe, Clemens
A1  - Plescher, Engelbert
A1  - Konstantinidis, K.
A1  - Forstner, R.
T1  - Enceladus explorer - A maneuverable subsurface probe for autonomous navigation through deep ice
T2  - 63rd International Astronautical Congress 2012, IAC 2012; Naples; Italy; 1 October 2012 through 5 October 2012. (Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC ; 3)
Y1  - 2012
SN  - 978-1-62276-979-7
SP  - 1756
EP  - 1766
PB  - Curran
CY  - Red Hook, NY
ER  - 
TY  - CHAP
A1  - Dachwald, Bernd
A1  - Mikucki, Jill A.
A1  - Tulaczyk, Slawek
A1  - Digel, Ilya
A1  - Feldmann, Marco
A1  - Espe, Clemens
A1  - Plescher, Engelbert
A1  - Xu, Changsheng
T1  - IceMole - a maneuverable probe for clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial aquatic ecosystems : extended abstract / SCAR Open Science Conference 2012, Session 29: Advancing Clean Technologies for Exploration of Glacial Aquatic Ecosystems
N2  - The ”IceMole“ is a novel maneuverable subsurface ice probe for clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial water/brine. It is developed and build at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ Astronautical Laboratory. A first prototype was successfully tested on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier in 2010. Clean sampling is achieved with a hollow ice screw (as it is used in mountaineering) at the tip of the probe. Maneuverability is achieved with a differentially heated melting head. Funded by the German Space Agency (DLR), a consortium led by FH Aachen currently develops a much more advanced IceMole probe, which includes a sophisticated system for obstacle avoidance, target detection, and navigation in the ice. We intend to use this probe for taking clean samples of subglacial brine at the Blood Falls (McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica) for chemical and microbiological analysis. In our conference contribution, we 1) describe the IceMole design, 2) report the results of the field tests of the first prototype on the Morteratsch glacier, 3) discuss the probe’s potential for the clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial liquids, and 4) outline the way ahead in the development of this technology.
KW  - Eisschicht
KW  - Sonde
KW  - subsurface ice
KW  - subglacial aquatic ecosystems
Y1  - 2012
ER  -