Scientists say 1.2-million-year-old ice may solve mystery of Earth’s past

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

SCIENTISTS IN ANTARCTICA ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THEY’VE EXTRACTED WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE WORLD’S OLDEST ICE.

THE TEAM FROM EUROPE DRILLED NEARLY TWO MILES TO OBTAIN ANCIENT ICE AS THEY WORK TO UNRAVEL THE MYSTERIES OF OUR PLANET’S PREHISTORIC CLIMATE 

THE ONE-POINT-TWO-MILLION-YEAR-OLD ICE CORE, WHICH IS THE LENGTH OF ABOUT “EIGHT EIFEL TOWERS END-TO-END,” IS NOW EXPECTED TO GIVE RESEARCHERS BETTER INSIGHT INTO HOW EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE TRANSFORMED OVER HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND OF YEARS.

PRESERVED WITHIN THE ICE ARE “ANCIENT AIR BUBBLES” WHICH WILL REVEAL HOW GREENHOUSE GASES, ATMOSPHERIC CHEMICALS AND DUST LEVELS HAVE CHANGED.

THE STUDY EXPANDS ON EARLIER RESEARCH SHOWING CONCENTRATIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES OVER THE LAST 800-THOUSAND YEARS NEVER WENT BEYOND THE LEVELS SEEN SINCE THE DAWN OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

[FEDERICO SCOTO]

“LOOKING AT THE CLIMATE STORED IN THE “EPICA” CORE, WE KNOW THAT ALSO IN THE WARMEST PERIODS OF OUR CLIMATE HISTORY ON THE EARTH, THE GREEN HOUSE CONCENTRATION, SO CO2 AND METHANE, WAS NEVER ABOVE THE CONCENTRATION THAT WE ARE OBSERVING OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE ICE CORE, RESEARCHERS AIM TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMATE SHIFTS OF THE PAST AND DETERMINE THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES.

SCIENTISTS ALSO HOPE THE RESEARCH MAY REVEAL WHAT HAPPENED 900 THOUSAND TO ONE-POINT-TWO-MILLION YEARS AGO WHEN “GLACIAL CYCLES” CHANGED AND SOME RESEARCHERS SAY OUR ANCESTORS NARROWLY ESCAPED EXTINCTION.

THE SCIENTISTS SAY THEIR WORKING TEMPERATURES WERE ON AVERAGE NEGATIVE 35 DEGREES CELSUIS. 

THE CORE WAS DRILLED IN ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE AREAS OF ANTARCTICA AND WAS A FOUR-YEAR-EFFORT.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.