'Time Machine': Scientists discover massive ice core that could unlock secrets of ancient Earth's climate
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
An international research team has retrieved a 9,186-foot-long (2,800 metre) ice core from East Antarctica. The core, collected from a site known as Little Dome C, reaches the bedrock beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet and could provide crucial insights into Earth's climate history.
The ice core, which is roughly the length of 25 soccer fields or six and a half times the height of the Empire State Building, holds a continuous climate record dating back 1.2 million years. This marks a significant extension beyond the previous ice core records.
Carlo Barbante, coordinator of the Beyond EPICA project, referred to the ice core as a "time machine," capturing "an extraordinary archive of Earth’s climate."
Trapped air bubbles within the ice core allow scientists to analyse past atmospheric composition, including greenhouse gas concentrations like carbon dioxide and methane. This data will help researchers understand the relationship between these gases and Earth's climate over millennia.
Scientists aim to uncover why Earth's ice ages shifted around 1 million years ago. This transition, known as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, marks the onset of longer and more intense ice ages, potentially shedding light on the environmental pressures faced by early human ancestors.
The ice core has been sliced into 3.2-foot (1-metre) segments, which are stored in insulated containers at the Antarctic site until they can be transported for further analysis. Researchers will examine the ice to uncover information about past climate-forcing factors and Earth's climate response.
The drilling operation at Little Dome C faced several logistical challenges due to the extreme conditions of the site, including temperatures below minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and strong winds. Despite these difficulties, the team successfully extracted the core.
The team plans to continue searching for older ice records that may further extend Earth's climate history. However, retrieving such ancient ice will require advanced technology and careful planning to ensure continuous climate records are preserved for future analysis.
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