This week Tony and Ben drilled the sea ice off the station in Horseshoe Harbour directly above a concrete casing that normally holds a tide gauge. One of several such instruments deployed to gather tide information along the East Antarctic coast at, and or close to research stations.
The hole was drilled and the concrete casing positioned — approximately eight metres below the ice surface, which was confirmed via a camera lowered into the hole on a pole.
The plug and float keeping the casing clear was removed using a line and hook. Then the repaired tide gauge was carefully lowered making sure the tension on the rope was kept constant before it was finally safely within the casing and the release rope pulled.
The tide gauge is now once again sending data on the movement of the Southern Ocean around our shores — set to go for another ten years or so if we’re lucky.