Three holes were drilled to the bed of Rutford Ice Stream, through ice up to 2154 m thick, to investigate the basal processes and conditions associated with fast ice flow and the glacial history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. A narrative of the drilling, measuring and sampling activities, as well as some preliminary results and initial interpretations of subglacial conditions, is given. These were the deepest subglacial access holes ever drilled using the hot-water drilling method. Samples of bed and englacial sediments were recovered, and a number of instruments were installed in the ice column and the bed. The ice–bed interface was found to be unfrozen, with an existing, well-developed subglacial hydrological system at high pressure, within ~1% of the ice overburden. The bed itself comprises soft, water-saturated sediments, consistent with previous geophysical interpretations. Englacial sediment quantity varies significantly between two locations ~2 km apart, and possibly over even shorter (~20 m) distances. Difficulties and unusual observations encountered while connecting to the subglacial hydrological system in one hole possibly resulted from the presence of a large clast embedded in the bottom of the ice.

中文翻译：

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冰盖历史和快速冰流的冰流冰下通道：西南极洲拉特福德冰流的 BEAMISH 项目和基础条件的初步结果

在拉特福德冰流的床层钻了三个洞，穿过厚达 2154 米的冰层，以研究与快速冰流相关的基础过程和条件以及西南极冰盖的冰川历史。给出了钻探、测量和取样活动的叙述，以及冰下条件的一些初步结果和初步解释。这些是使用热水钻孔方法钻出的最深的冰下通道孔。回收了床和冰川沉积物的样品，并在冰柱和床中安装了许多仪器。发现冰床界面未冻结，在约 1% 的冰覆盖层范围内，存在一个现有的、发育良好的高压冰下水文系统。床本身包含柔软的水饱和沉积物，与之前的地球物理解释一致。两个相距约 2 km 的地点，甚至更短（约 20 m）的距离之间的冰期沉积物数量差异很大。在一个洞中连接到冰下水文系统时遇到的困难和不寻常的观察可能是由于存在嵌入冰底的大型碎屑。