Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the Allan Hills region of East Antarctica, uncovering six-million-year-old ice that offers an unprecedented glimpse into Earth’s climatic past. This incredible discovery moves the date of ice records back further in time. It provides valuable information about a past period of warmer global temperatures and rising seas. The study was led by Sarah Shackleton of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and John Higgins of Princeton University. This report marks a historic advance in the science of climate.
The Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX) science team set out on an exhilarating adventure. Their goal was to find ice cores that are at least three million years old. Instead, they found ice that is twice as old—far beyond what they had expected. The Allan Hills today The Allan Hills region is well known among the glaciology community for being one of the best places on Earth to find shallow old ice. Its intimidatingly icy terrain poses serious obstacles. On the fringes of the ice sheet, the researchers drilled one to two hundred meters deep. They went through many sites to collect and create useful data.
A Deeper Look into the Earth’s Past
That six-million-year-old ice core gives us a remarkable chance to look back in time to an era when Earth already experienced vastly different, hotter conditions. Geological records from this epoch indicate unprecedentedly high temperatures. It shows much higher sea levels than previously realized, which would deeply change the way we think about today’s climate. Scientists already succeeded in studying the isotopic composition of oxygen in ice. Their results show a stepwise cooling trend of roughly 12 degrees Celsius (more than 22 degrees Fahrenheit) over several million years.
This new, cooler climate phase is a reminder of our planet’s ever-changing history. It further informs scientists about the relationship between temperature change and global sea level rise. These discoveries are likely to improve existing climate models, which will give critical information about what to expect as the Earth’s climate continues to change. For scientists, the Allan Hills cores provide a truly unique and invaluable resource. They use it to get to the bottom of why our planet’s climate has changed throughout history.
The Challenges of Antarctic Research
Performing research within the Allan Hills is not an easy task. The region is infamous for its harsh climate, presenting significant challenges that make fieldwork grueling and even dangerous for scientists. In spite of these challenges, the research team was able to core and recover these ancient ice samples through rigorous and arduous drilling campaigns. Typically, recovering such ancient ice means drilling deep into the ice sheet, sometimes more than 2,000 meters. The team’s thoughtful choice of drilling sites meant they could reach these older layers with minimal effort.
COLDEX beautifully illustrates the value of collaboration and partnership in solving complex scientific problems. This public-private partnership network includes 15 U.S. research institutions with Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR leading. This collective knowledge and capability among researchers from different institutions helped ensure the successful retrieval of this highly valuable ice core.
Implications for Future Climate Research
The possibilities presented by finding six-million-year-old ice are endless. This finding could reshape existing models that predict future climate scenarios and inform policymakers about potential impacts related to climate change. This points to the importance of continued exploration and research into ancient ice. Now, these records provide essential insights into Earth’s meteorological past.
Recently, a European team reported their discovery of a deep continuous ice core that reached 1.2 million years in East Antarctica’s interior, further emphasizing the growing interest and need for research in this field. These two independent discoveries reaffirm our deep investment in studying Earth’s ancient climate system. They highlight the applicability of this understanding to the environmental challenges of our contemporary society.