Scientists have recently established the world’s first comprehensive repository of mountain ice cores in Antarctica to safeguard the Earth’s atmospheric history as global warming accelerates glacier melting. Ice cores act as time capsules, encapsulating past atmospheric conditions in a frozen archive. With the rapid decline of global glaciers, researchers are working fervently to collect and store ice cores before they vanish completely.
The initial two samples of Alpine mountain ice cores, extracted from Mont Blanc in France and Grand Combin in Switzerland, are currently housed in a snow cave at the Concordia research station in Antarctica’s Plateau. Maintained at a steady temperature of approximately -52°C, these samples were transported via icebreaker from Trieste, Italy, after a 50-day refrigerated journey.
The Ice Memory Foundation, comprising European research institutions, officially launched the frozen sanctuary. This initiative aims to conserve physical samples of atmospheric components trapped in ice layers, allowing future researchers to analyze past climate conditions utilizing advanced technologies. The Ice Memory project, initiated in 2015 by a consortium of research bodies from France, Italy, and Switzerland, has already retrieved ice cores from ten glacier sites worldwide for preservation in the Antarctic cave.
As global temperatures continue to rise, glaciers are rapidly disappearing, leading to the loss of crucial atmospheric data. The foundation highlighted that glaciers have shrunk regionally by up to 39% since 2000, with a five percent global reduction. These ice cores serve as vital reference points enabling present and future scientists to comprehend the pace and reasons behind environmental changes.
Celeste Saulo, the secretary general of the UN World Meteorological Organization, emphasized the significance of ice cores as essential tools for understanding historical climate shifts. The ongoing efforts include establishing an international agreement to protect and uphold these invaluable ice core samples for forthcoming research endeavors.