An in situ gas extraction system for radiocarbon dating glacier ice

In March 1966 at the Tuto ice tunnel, Greenland, a team from USA CRREL and the University of Bern tested a new down-borehole device which would allow gas to be extracted from within shallow or deep boreholes. The tunnel ice was unfractured and its temperature was constant at -10C. A location where, in 1964, C-14 age dates had been obtained was used as a check point for the down-borehole tests. Comparative samples show good agreement and indicate a mean value of 5120 years B.P. for the age of ice at this location. The simplicity of the down-borehole gas extraction system enables application of the carbon dating method to any natural, undisturbed glacier ice mass which can be sampled by boring. The gas extraction apparatus and field experiments are described. (Author).