Shallow ice-core drilling at Mount Wrangell, Alaska

Abstract

During the 2003 summer we initiated a three-year study of climate and volcanic history on Mt. Wrangell, Alaska (60°N, 144°W, 4317 m). It is being done in comparison with research on Ushkovsky Volcano (56°N, 160°E, 3903 m), Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Both are ice-covered, andesitic volcanoes on the north Pacific rim, at 4000 m altitude and within 6° in latitude. In June 2003 a research camp was established in the Summit Caldera of Mt. Wrangell for the purpose of ice core drilling, radio echo sounding of ice depth, and maintenance of previously established photo control points on crater rims for use in aerial photugramiuetry. A 50m ice core of high quality was obtained in sections 50 cm long, with a new drill which performed very well. It will be analyzed for δ 1 8 O and δD as well as for chemical analyses of major ions and volcanic ash traces. The core extended back to 1981 and overlapped stratigraphically with core and pit studies done from 1961 to 1982 on Mt Wrangell. The 10-m deep temperature was - 18.9 °C and was found to be higher as much as 1 °C than those observed in 1970s.