Incredible Discovery in Antarctica: 1.2-Million-Year-Old Air Bubbles May Uncover Ice Age Mysteries

Researchers have announced the extraction of what may be the oldest ice ever found on Earth, dating back an astonishing 1.2 million years. The breakthrough took place deep in Antarctica, where scientists, working in temperatures of -35°C, drilled down to retrieve a 2.8 km-long ice core – a length equivalent to eight Eiffel Towers lined up end to end.

The scientists unearthed the ancient ice and stored it in frozen caves within the ice sheet.

Trapped within this ancient ice are air bubbles from prehistoric times, potentially holding answers to fundamental questions about our planet’s climate history. These bubbles, preserved for millions of years, contain crucial information about the atmosphere of that era, including traces of gases that could explain significant shifts in global climate patterns.

The research, carried out by European scientists over four Antarctic summers, involved a competitive race among seven nations to reach the bedrock beneath the frozen continent. The mission is part of a global effort to uncover what occurred between 900,000 and 1.2 million years ago, a period when glacial cycles were mysteriously disrupted. Some experts believe these extreme climatic changes brought humanity’s ancestors close to extinction.

“Having a piece of ice that is a million years old in your hands is extraordinary,” says Carlo Barbante, professor at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, and the project coordinator. “You can see layers of volcanic ash and tiny air bubbles – literally the same air our ancestors breathed a million years ago.”

The initiative was led by the Italian Institute of Polar Sciences, with contributions from researchers in 10 European countries. This groundbreaking discovery could shed light on one of the most intriguing periods of climate history, enhancing our understanding of the connection between climate and the evolution of life on Earth.

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