Lake El'gygytgyn
Lake El'gygytgyn (Lake E) s a 3.6 million year old impact crater lake with a diameter of 12 km and a water depth of 170 m. During the last 8 years the sedimentary record of the lake has become a major focus of multidisciplinary multi-national paleoclimatic research. Recently, the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) has provided funding for a drilling operation on the lake and in its permafrost catchment in 2007/08. DOSECC will be the drilling contractor for the Lake E project.
The scientific objectives of this project are as follows:
- Paleoclimate: Collect samples of the lake sediments in order to document the paleoclimate history of the arctic since the mid-Pliocene. Lake El'gygytgyn is in a unique location in the Arctic that has not been glaciated and therefore offers the potential for a continuous record since the basin was formed by a meteorite impact at 3.58 Ma.
- Meteorite Impact: Collect samples of the impact rocks to evaluate impact and cratering processes.
- Permafrost: Collect core samples of permafrost to compliment the paleoclimate record from the lake basin.
Some additional project-specific topics include:
- Ice drilling – Drilling from ice requires minimizing drilling rig weight and distributing the weight of the rig and ancillary buildings across the ice; the necessity of using both soft sediment and hard-rock coring techniques to collect samples; and sample storage (permafrost cores will have to be maintained frozen while the lake cores will have to be prevented from freezing);
- Logistics – Options for transporting the rig to the lake; availability and quality of fuel; reliability of the food supply, etc.; and
- Personnel – What is the best way to house, clothe, and feed the drill crews and scientists in a remote arctic environment?
Project Summary: LakeE-OnePager.pdf
Project Links:
Positions Open
DOSECC seeks a President and a Director of Scientific Drilling.
