GPR research for the organization of the runway on the sea ice in the area of the Bunger Oasis field base, East Antarctica
https://doi.org/10.30758/0555-2648-2019-65-3-315-327
Abstract
When one is carrying out logistic operations at Russian Antarctic stations, organization and safe operation of snow-runways play an important role. Nowadays six of the seven existing stations and field bases of the Russian Antarctic expedition (RAE) are provided with air communication, however, the Bunger Oasis field base is still outside the air transportation structure. The aim of the investigations described in this paper was to find a safe site for organizing a snow-runway in the area of the Bunger Oasis field base. Taking into account the location of the infrastructure objects of RAE within the Bunger Oasis, the central part of the epishelf Transcription Gulf, situated 7 km away from the base, was chosen as the most appropriate site. During the summer field season of the 64th RAE (2018/2019), a geophysical survey using the GPR (Ground-penetrating radar) method was carried out within the area to obtain data on the thickness of the bay ice. The GPR survey conducted shows that the sea ice thickness varies from 2.9 to 3.1 m. Moreover, no signs of discontinuities in the ice layer were found. The area investigated was identified as a safe site suitable for the landing of light and medium aircraft. However, due to the specificity of the relief of the oasis adjacent to the Bay, the weathering products of the rocks composing the hills migrated to the surface of the ice layer. The effect of solar radiation caused the thawing in the areas of such particles to increase, and this, in turn, led to the formation of cavities on the surface, the dimensions of which do not meet the requirements for runway coatings. As a result, in the area under study, the boundaries of the sites were determined that are suitable for the organization of runways for medium and small aircraft without preliminary rolling of the landing site.
Keywords
airfield,
Bunger Oasis,
East Antarctica,
georadar profiling,
logistical support,
transport operations
Supporting agencies: The authors are grateful to the crew of “Avialift Vladivostok” for carrying out logistic operations during the field work and to the Institute of Earth Sciences of St. Petersburg State University for providing the geophysical equipment
About the Authors
A. A. Sukhanova
Saint Petersburg State University, Institute of Earth Sciences
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg.
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg.
S. V. Popov
Polar Marine Geosurvey Expedition; Saint Petersburg State University, Institute of Earth Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg.
S. P. Polyakov
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg.
M. P. Kashkevich
Saint Petersburg State University, Institute of Earth Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg.
V. L. Martyanov
State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St. Petersburg.
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Review
For citations:
Sukhanova A.A., Popov S.V., Polyakov S.P., Kashkevich M.P., Martyanov V.L. GPR research for the organization of the runway on the sea ice in the area of the Bunger Oasis field base, East Antarctica. Arctic and Antarctic Research. 2019;65(3):315-327. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30758/0555-2648-2019-65-3-315-327
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