98-1 Construction, Maintenance, and Operation of a Glacial Runway, McMurdo Station, Antarctica George L. Blaisdell, Renee M. Lang, Gerald Crist, Keith Kurtti, R. Jeffrey Harbin, and Daniel Flora March 1998 MONOGRAPH Abstract: On 7 February 1994, a C-141 departed Christ- church. The primary benefit of the Pegasus runway to church, New Zealand, and landed on the 3050-m the U.S. Antarctic Program is its ability to support heavy (10,000-ft) Pegasus glacial ice runway, located on the wheeled aircraft for most of the period of mid-January Ross Ice Shelf 13 km (8 miles) south of McMurdo, through November. In the past, only ski-equipped aircraft Antarctica. This event marked the final test for a five- could land in the McMurdo area during this time period. year development program to demonstrate the feasibil- The Pegasus runway allows increased payloads for the ity of a semipermanent glacial ice runway capable LC-130 (an additional 3600-kg or 8000-lb takeoff of supporting heavy wheeled aircraft at a site easily weight when using wheels) and provides access for accessible to McMurdo. In the later phases of develop- virtually any conventional aircraft. The technology for ing the glacial ice runway, numerous working flights of siting, constructing, maintaining, and operating such a LC-130s operating on wheels (rather than skis) moved runway is now well understood and is described in detail cargo more efficiently to the South Pole, and the LC-130 in this comprehensive report. and a C-130 carried larger passenger loads to Christ- Cover: First C-141 Starlifter operation on a glacial ice runway (McMurdo, Antarctica; 7 February 1994). Following successful landing and taxi tests, the aircraft took on 54 passengers and priority cargo and completed the 6-hour return flight to Christchurch, New Zealand. How to get copies of CRREL technical publications: Department of Defense personnel and contractors may order reports through the Defense Technical Information Center: DTIC-BR SUITE 0944 8725 JOHN J KINGMAN RD FT BELVOIR VA 22060-6218 Telephone 1 800 225 3842 E-mail [email protected] [email protected] WWW http://www.dtic.dla.mil/ All others may order reports through the National Technical Information Service: NTIS 5285 PORT ROYAL RD SPRINGFIELD VA 22161 Telephone 1 703 487 4650 1 703 487 4639 (TDD for the hearing-impaired) E-mail [email protected] WWW http://www.fedworld.gov/ntis/ntishome.html A complete list of all CRREL technical publications is available from USACRREL (CECRL-LP) 72 LYME RD HANOVER NH 03755-1290 Telephone 1 603 646 4338 E-mail [email protected] For information on all aspects of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, visit our World Wide Web site: http://www.crrel.usace.army.mil Monograph 98-1 US ArmyArmy CorpsCorps of EngineersEngineers®® Cold Regions Research & Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory Laboratory Construction, Maintenance, and Operation of a Glacial Runway, McMurdo Station, Antarctica George L. Blaisdell, Renee M. Lang, Gerald Crist, Keith Kurtti, R. Jeffrey Harbin, and Daniel Flora March 1998 Prepared for OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. FOREWORD This report is dedicated to Dr. Malcolm Mellor. His high level of energy and tech- nical persuasion secured the support for this project. Malcolm eagerly drove the bulldozer making the first passes that exposed the glacial ice which would eventu- ally lead to the Pegasus runway. We regret that, because of his untimely death, he did not have the opportunity to share in many of the discoveries made during the construction process, nor in the runway’s successful completion and operation. Photo by Charles Swithinbank ii PREFACE This report was prepared by George L. Blaisdell, Research Civil Engineer, Applied Research Division, U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Labo- ratory, Hanover, New Hampshire, Renee M. Lang, Consultant, Sigma Technologies, Gerald Crist, Snow and Ice Construction Specialist, Antarctic Support Associates, Keith Kurtti, Fabricator, Antarctic Support Associates, R. Jeffrey Harbin, Operator, Antarctic Support Associates, and Daniel Flora, Snow and Ice Construction Special- ist, Antarctic Support Associates. This work was performed for the National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs under a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The authors thank NSF for the opportunity to conduct this study and for their continued support throughout the development. The authors also thank Paul Sellmann and Dr. Charles Swithinbank for their technical review of this report. The authors are very grateful to Antarctic Support Associates for their commit- ment to this project. Many individuals from ASA contributed greatly to its success. The authors are particularly thankful to the U.S. Navy’s VXE-6 squadron and to the Naval Support Force–Antarctica. Without their willingness to try something new, the authors could have proven only that glacial ice could be graded flat and that it could support a concentrated load of ballast. During the early phases of this project, the authors received advice and assistance from experts at the Russian Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI); their contribution was very beneficial. The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising or promotional pur- poses. Citation of brand names does not constitute an official endorsement or ap- proval of the use of such commercial products. iii CONTENTS Page Foreword .................................................................................................................... ii Preface ........................................................................................................................ iii Executive summary .................................................................................................. ix Chapter 1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Site investigation ................................................................................... 4 Initial siting ........................................................................................................... 4 Physical properties of sites ................................................................................. 4 Ice characteristics ............................................................................................ 4 Ice surface characteristics ............................................................................... 9 Snow depth, accumulation, and ablation .................................................... 10 Trend of accumulation/ablation transition ................................................ 13 Snow drifting ................................................................................................... 13 Movement of glacier ....................................................................................... 15 Presence of contaminants............................................................................... 15 Flight plate ....................................................................................................... 17 Logistical suitability........................................................................................ 19 Access for construction .................................................................................. 19 Establishing database .......................................................................................... 20 Weather characteristics .................................................................................. 20 Ice temperature profile ................................................................................... 21 Solar radiation ................................................................................................. 23 Topography and ice movement .................................................................... 25 Data analysis .................................................................................................... 25 Making site selection ...................................................................................... 25 Environmental impact evaluation ..................................................................... 26 Chapter 3. Construction ........................................................................................... 27 Site development ................................................................................................. 27 Facilities ............................................................................................................ 28 Access road ...................................................................................................... 29 Initial open-up ................................................................................................. 30 Runway construction .......................................................................................... 34 First grading and inspection.......................................................................... 35 Filling of low areas .......................................................................................... 40 Preparations for final grading ....................................................................... 41 Final ice grading .............................................................................................. 42 Snow management during construction .........................................................