We would have liked to drill several meters, however, it seemed like drilling would cause great destruction in the "heavy ice". Because of that we tried an alternative method: exploring a three-dimensional structure of a polygon in the ground with a camera!

We installed an automatic camera on the east bank of the Lena on the island Samoilov. There, erosion has exposed a several meters high outcrops - and made drilling unnecessary.

These outcrops provide an insight into the underground structure of the polygons. 

We have noted that during the summer months the ice thaws revealing the ice-sediment mixture. We decided to record this process with an automatic camera in four-hour rhythm for more than ten days and it created the video, which can be seen here.

Images of an x–ray tomography were also combined in order to reconstruct the nature of the polygon. During the time of filming, there was little precipitation, but rather high air temperatures. The film features a dynamic system in which quite a lot happens: water and sediment flow continuously down the wall and slide down major sediment components.

This "new" method occurred as very convincing so we decided to continue our series of films next year over a longer period of time and with a higher interval.