Mining and Construction in Snow and Ice From Test Pits to Long Tunnels

Snow, firn, and ice are the most widespread cryogenic minerals on Earth’s surface. Their properties differ significantly from those of common minerals, and their excavation requires special approaches. The problems of mining and construction in snow and ice could be explained mostly by harsh climate conditions, logistics difficulties, environmental issues and snow-ice related challenges. The primary objective of this book is to list all feasible technologies for mining and construction in snow and ice, and to analyze these from the perspective of applications, problems, and hindrances.

Although mining and construction in snow and ice appears exotic, it is significantly common for the production of snow and ice as a source of freshwater and construction material; accessing subglacial ore; the investigation and sampling of near-surface layers; glacier geoengineering works; recovering of snow-buried objects; construction of subsurface shelters for living, working, and military facilities; observation and investigation of glacier beds; construction of sightseeing ice tunnels; and drainage of ice-dammed proglacial lakes.

Chapter 1. Objectives and methods of mining and construction in snow and ice.- Chapter 2. Ice mechanics and thermodynamics for mining and construction engineering applications.- Chapter 3. Open mining and construction in snow and ice.- Chapter 4. Snow and ice foundations, pavements and runways.- Chapter 5. Underground mining and construction in snow and ice.- Chapter 6. Snow and ice related challenges.- Conclusion remarks.

Pavel G. Talalay, is a Professor of Exploration Engineering and Director of the Institute of Polar Science and Engineering in Jilin University, Changchun, China. His research interests are focused on different features of drilling and mining technologies in ice and permafrost; dynamics of ice sheets; ice properties and environmental issues in Polar Regions. He acquired Mining Engineer (1984), Ph.D. (1995) and Doctor of Engineering (2007) degrees at the St. Petersburg Mining University of Russia, where he has also worked as Professor and Chair of Department. Talalay was a guest Researcher in the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1998-1999). In 2010, Talalay was invited to work at Jilin University within the framework of the Chinese state program “Thousand Talents Plan”. Later, Talalay became the Director of the Institute of Polar Science and Engineering in Jilin University. Additionally, Talalay is a member of IDP Technical Assistance Board of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Talalay is the author of over 200 publication, 70 patents, and 19 books and book-chapters, most notable of which are “Mechanical Ice Drilling Technology” (Springer Geophysics, 2016), “Thermal Ice Drilling Technology” (Springer Geophysics, 2020), and “Geotechnical and exploration drilling in the polar regions” (Springer Cham, 2022). He participated in eight field expeditions in Antarctica and the Artic.