World’s oldest ice mass to melt, unlocking climate secrets

Preserved at -23°C in the British Antarctic Survey's freezer facility in Cambridge, this ice is currently considered the oldest sample ever found on Earth. Scientists believe microscopic particles trapped within the ice—such as dust, volcanic ash, and marine algae—hold clues about wind directions, temperatures, and sea levels from millions of years ago.

A FROZEN TIME CAPSULE

Dr. Liz Thomas, responsible for analyzing the ice cores, said, "This represents a completely unknown period in Earth's history," adding that the data could revolutionize climate science.During the research process, the ice containers can only be opened for 15 minutes at a time, with staff protected by heavy clothing, boots, gloves, and helmets.The ice cores were extracted over four seasons by a multinational team approximately 40 km from the Italian-French Concordia research station in Antarctica.The ice was cut into one-meter sections and shipped to Europe. In total, 2.8 kilometers of ice cores were drilled—equivalent to stacking eight Eiffel Towers.

In Cambridge, the ice will be melted over a seven-week analysis period, with the resulting liquid samples analyzed by a highly sensitive ICP-MS spectrometer.

The research aims to reveal temperatures, precipitation levels, and wind patterns dating back 800,000 to 1.5 million years.