Study on Ice Temperature Fields and Borehole Closure Rates During Thermal Ice Drilling

Thermal ice drilling technology is extensively used in drilling operations such as temperature measurement holes and subglacial water environment investigations in Antarctica owing to its advantages of compactness, light weight, and ease of operation. However, thermal drilling disturbs the initial temperature of the surrounding ice, making it impossible to obtain the true ice temperature through a borehole within a short period. Meltwater refreezing also causes the borehole to shrink and close, posing a threat to drilling safety. Therefore, obtaining an accurate characterization of the temperature field around the hole and assessing the meltwater refreezing rate are crucial for determining the appropriate temperature measurement duration and optimizing drilling parameters. To address this issue, a temperature measurement platform for the ice surrounding the borehole was developed. Experimental investigations were conducted to analyze the temperature fields during thermal drilling using both small-diameter thermal heads and RECoverable Autonomous Sonde (RECAS) thermal heads. This study clarifies the temperature field changes in the surrounding ice during and after thermal drilling. It also elucidates the effects of parameters such as the ice temperature, thermal head heating power, and thermal head diameter on the temperature field around the hole and estimates the meltwater refreezing rate inside the borehole. The results indicated that the temperature of the surrounding ice peaked approximately 5–7 h after drilling and subsequently decreased and returned to the original temperature within 48 h. The thermal disturbance radius in the surrounding ice was approximately 1.1 to 1.7 times the borehole radius when the thermal head passed through. However, after the thermal head passed, the thermal disturbance radius continued to expand owing to the heat released from meltwater refreezing, reaching 9.7 to 12.5 times the borehole radius. The average meltwater refreezing rate, estimated from temperature measurement tests at −16 °C, was 3.6 mm/h.