Evaluating and locating a suitable bedrock drilling site near Zhongshan Station with airborne and ground-based observations

Understanding the interaction between the Antarctic biogeochemical cycle and global environmental change requires a comprehensive investigation of the ice sheet and underlying bedrock. An effective approach to investigating subglacial characteristics is through bedrock drilling, making the identification of a suitable drilling site a crucial prerequisite. In this study, data from airborne ice-penetrating radar and an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing were used in combination to obtain real-time and high-resolution information about the surface, ice thickness, and subglacial conditions in a local area near Zhongshan Station, and further to identify a drilling site that is both safe and optimal for the successful acquisition of bedrock samples beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. By analyzing the airborne ice-penetrating radar data from the 35th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) (2018–2019), a potential drilling site was selected based on ice thickness (≤200 m) and a dry basal condition with no channels or basal crevasses, to avoid drilling fluid leakage. UAV data confirmed stable surface topography, ice flow, and the absence of surface crevasses. The optimal site was identified as located close to the western flank of the upstream part of the Dålk Glacier. In 2019, CHINARE successfully retrieved a valuable bedrock core sample from the borehole at this location. This study provides a feasible and effective methodology for locating a bedrock drilling site by using data from airborne ice-penetrating radar and UAV remote sensing.