Tunneling System for the South Pole

Tunnels have long been a part of specialized facilities found in Greenland and Antarctica. The low temperatures, severe windchill, drifting snow, and prolonged darkness these facilities experience necessitates the use of protective passageways for personnel and utilities. Several attempts have been made to develop subsurface tunneling systems, but technological challenges have limited these systems' effectiveness. In 1996, the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory deployed a subsurface tunneling system at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for the purpose of excavating a utilidor. This system successfully machined a 125-m-long tunnel in the highly compacted firn adjacent to the station. At a maximum depth of 16 m, the tunnel currently provides a controlled environment for the station's wastewater outfall line. In 2001, a 600-m tunnel was completed. This technical note describes the tunneling system, its use, and lessons learned.