World's oldest Antarctic ice being melted to find out more about climate | BBC News

Key Concepts:

• Ice cores from Antarctica as environmental records
• Analysis of ice cores to reconstruct past climate and environment
• Importance of studying ice cores to understand future climate change
• The EPICA Dome C ice core and its significance
• Carbon dioxide levels and their impact on climate
• Analogies between past climate conditions and potential future scenarios

Ice Core Analysis at the British Antarctic Survey

The British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge is analyzing the oldest sections of ice cores retrieved from Antarctica. This analysis aims to create a continuous environmental record extending back over 1.5 million years.

The Freezer and Ice Core Preparation

The ice cores are stored in a freezer at -23°C. Scientists are working to study these samples, some of the oldest ever collected. One of the ice cores is being prepared for melting.

Mission Control and Monitoring

As the ice melts, the process is monitored by scientists using screens in a designated "mission control" area.

Dr. Liz Thomas and the Ice Core Team

Dr. Liz Thomas, head of the ice core team, explains the value of the ice samples. The core was drilled in East Antarctica as part of an international collaboration funded by the EU. The goal is to obtain the longest continuous ice core, potentially reaching back 1.2 million years or more. The core was extracted from a depth of 2.8 km. The freezer door shows the point where they reached 1.2 million years, with the possibility of it being even older (1.3, 1.4, or 1.5 million years).

Melting Process and Data Collection

As the ice melts, the liquid passes through scientific equipment. A device collects the air bubbles trapped inside the ice, which could be over a million years old.

Information Contained in the Ice

Despite its clear appearance, the ice contains a wealth of information about the planet's climate and environmental changes. Scientists are measuring this information to reconstruct events beyond a million years ago.

Significance of Studying Older Ice

Previous ice cores only extended back 800,000 years. Studying older ice allows scientists to examine a period when ice sheets were smaller, sea levels were higher, and carbon dioxide levels may have been elevated. This provides an analog for understanding how the climate might evolve in the future.

The EPICA Dome C Ice Core

The EPICA Dome C ice core, which went back 800,000 years, demonstrated that the current increase in carbon dioxide is outside the range of natural variability.

Looking Back to Look Forward

Studying past climate conditions is crucial for predicting future climate scenarios.

End of Melting and Future Research

The scientists are in their last day of melting the ice. Despite the destruction of the ice during analysis, months or years of research will follow as the data is analyzed.

Conclusion

The analysis of these ancient ice cores is a significant endeavor that provides valuable insights into past climate conditions and helps scientists understand and predict future climate change. The data obtained will contribute to a better understanding of the Earth's climate history and inform strategies for addressing current and future environmental challenges.