Archive · 18 Jul 2025
UK Scientists to Melt 1.5-Million-Year-Old Antarctic Ice
Scientists are studying ancient ice from Antarctica, believed to be 1.5 million years old, to understand Earth's past climate.
This ice contains clues like tiny air bubbles and dust that can tell us about the climate long ago.
The researchers want to learn why the climate changed its pattern about a million years ago, shifting from changes every 41,000 years to every 100,000 years.
By melting and examining the ice, they hope to uncover secrets about past temperatures, sea levels, and wind patterns to improve predictions about future climate change.
Scientists in the UK are analyzing 1.5-million-year-old ice cores retrieved from Antarctica.
The ice cores were extracted from Little Dome C in East Antarctica, at a depth of 2,800 meters.
The project, part of the Beyond EPICA initiative, aims to extend climate records beyond the current 800,000-year timeframe.
The ice will be melted to analyze its contents, including trapped gases, dust particles, and other elements.
Researchers hope to understand the shift in Earth's climate cycles and predict future climate impacts.
- Who
- Researchers from multiple European institutions are involved in the Beyond EPICA project.
- What
- Scientists are analyzing 1.5-million-year-old ice cores to study past climate cycles.
- When
- The ice was recently retrieved and is currently being analyzed.
- Where
- The ice cores were collected in Antarctica and are being studied in the UK.
- Why
- To understand past climate changes and improve predictions about future climate impacts.
- Ice Age
- 1.5 million years old
- Location of Ice Extraction
- Little Dome C, East Antarctica
- Extraction Depth
- 2,800 meters
- Project Name
- Beyond EPICA
- Research Location
- UK (Cambridge)
- Ice Core Analysis
- Melting and chemical analysis
