An international team of scientists revealed on Thursday that they have successfully extracted one of the oldest ice cores ever drilled, reaching nearly 2 miles (2.8 kilometres) into Antarctic bedrock to retrieve ice that is estimated to be at least 1.2 million years old.
The ice core analysis is expected to provide crucial insights into the historical evolution of Earth’s atmosphere and climate. It is anticipated that this research will shed light on the changes in Ice Age cycles and offer a better understanding of the role atmospheric carbon has played in influencing climate changes.
Carlo Barbante, an Italian glaciologist and coordinator of the Beyond EPICA project, which oversaw the drilling, emphasised that the core will reveal significant changes in greenhouse gases, chemicals, and dust levels in the atmosphere. Barbante also heads the Polar Science Institute at Italy’s National Research Council.
The team had previously drilled a core dating back to around 800,000 years ago. For this latest endeavour, a team of 16 scientists and support staff spent four years drilling each summer at Little Dome C, near the Concordia Research Station, in extreme conditions with temperatures averaging minus-35 C (minus-25.6 F).
Federico Scoto, an Italian researcher, was among the glaciologists and technicians who completed the drilling at the start of January. The ice’s age was confirmed through isotope analysis, revealing it to be at least 1.2 million years old.
Barbante and Scoto explained that findings from previous EPICA ice core campaigns had shown that concentrations of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, never exceeded levels seen since the Industrial Revolution, even during the warmest periods of the past 800,000 years.
“Today we are seeing carbon dioxide levels that are 50% above the highest levels we’ve had over the last 800,000 years,” Barbante stated.
The Beyond EPICA project, funded by the European Union and supported by nations across Europe, is coordinated by Italy.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm by Richard Alley, a climate scientist at Penn State University, who was not involved in the project. Alley, who was recently honoured with the National Medal of Science for his career studying ice sheets, noted the significance of advancements in ice core research. He explained that such work deepens our understanding of past climate conditions and the impact of human activities on current climate change. He also highlighted that reaching the bedrock could uncover further insights into Earth’s history beyond the ice records themselves.
Frances Ibiefo
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