Ice cores believed to be over 1.2 million years old have been discovered in Antarctica. The ice cores, found as part of the “Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice” project supported by the European Commission, have been reported to be sent to Europe for analysis.

An announcement on the website of the “Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice” project, supported by the European Commission, stated that scientists aim to shed light on the Earth’s climate history exceeding 1.2 million years by recording atmospheric gases, dust, and isotopic compositions during the formation periods of the ice cores. It was mentioned that the ice cores extracted from approximately 2,800 meters depth in Antarctica were transported to Europe in containers maintained at minus 50 degrees on the research vessel.

TO BE DIVIDED INTO SMALL PIECES IN ITALY It was noted that the ice cores are expected to arrive in Italy around April 22, and from there, they will be sent to Germany to be divided into small pieces to be distributed to the laboratories of research institutions participating in the project. The coordinator of the Beyond EPICA project, Carlo Barbante, included in the announcement, stated, “We achieved remarkable success in the past drilling season. In the last few days, we have planned analyses that will reveal the climate history of the past 1.2 million years and maybe even earlier. We are eagerly looking forward to taking the samples soon.”