EGRIP Field Station
Address
Physical address outside field season (25.august to 20. april): Centre for ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Tagensvej 16, DK-2200 Copenhagen N. Tel +45 3532 0557Physical address during field work (20.april to 25.august): EGRIP, Box 12, DK-3910 Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. (Office is located in room 208 in building 662 (KISS)). Tel +299 84 11 51, cell +299 52 41 25.
www.iceandclimate.nbi.ku.dk
Station manager
Susanne AndersenE-mail: susanne.andersen@nbi.ku.dk
Station Features
Opening year: 2015 Status: OpenFacilities
Station name and owner
EGRIP (East Greenland Ice Core Project) Field Station owned by Centre for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Location
The station is located on the North East Greenland Ice Sheet (75°38’ N, 36°00’ W, 2704 m a.s.l.) within the North East Greenland National Park. The scientific reference area is a 50 by 50 km square with the station in the centre. The station is on the centre axis of the North East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS), 480 km from Danmarkshavn, 690 km from Ittoqqortoormiit and 350 km NNE of Summit Station. Due to its location in the ice stream, the station moves 50 m NNE per year.
Climate data
Grey colours are WMO Climate Normals including maximum and minimum values. Blue colours are individual years.
Climate data for the stations where extracted via Copernicus Climate Data Store, from the global gridded reanalysis product: ERA5 monthly averaged data on single levels from 1940 to present. Description and source code: Roemer J.K. 2023. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10214922 Data Source: Hersbach et al. 2023. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS), https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.f17050d7
Biodiversity and natural environment
Landscape is flat and white with only slight variations in altitude in the vicinity of the station. The annual average temperature is around -28 °C and annual snowfall is around 100 mm water equivalent. Temperatures above 0 °C are extremely rare. Birds (geese, seagulls and finches) are the only observed life forms migrating across the Ice Cap.
History and facilities
The station was established in 2015 when the former NEEM ice core drilling station was towed by tractor 465 km to EGRIP. The station has a capacity for 25 (peak 40) residents and there is a doctor, a cook and mechanics on site. The station facilities include kitchen, dining area, bath room, laundry, lounge, electronics workshop, office space with internet, sickbay and flight operations office, carpenters workshop, mechanics workshop and storage. Vehicles at the station include tracked vehicles, snowmobiles and snow throwers. There is also an underground drilling and science area with snow caves and connecting tunnels. Access to underground areas is by elevators and stairs.
General research and databases
Main research fields are deep ice coring and ice core analysis. Studies of processes at the base of the ice stream and of surface snow composition are also conducted at the station together with weather observations and studies using airborne radar, GPS network, seismic sensors and other geophysical methods. Data and detailed information will be made available on www. iceandclimate.dk.
Station Monitoring
Human dimension
Nearest human habitation is Danmarkshavn (weather station – 480 km away). Nearest settlement is Ittoqqortoormiit (690 km away).
Access
The station is accessible by ski equipped aeroplanes only. The station features a 60 m wide and 3.6 km long marked skiway with a 3.6 km marked lead in each end. Fuel is stored in 3 × 15,000 liter steel fuel tanks with an air craft fuel pump with 1000 liter per minute capacity. Flight time from Kangerlussuaq 2.5 hr by LC-130, 5.5 hr by Twin Otter or 4.5 hr by Basler
