Secrets in the Ice

Antarctica is the world’s most barren continent. Temperatures there can dip to -84 degrees Celsius (-120 degrees Fahrenheit). And the land is covered in an ice sheet up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) thick.

But there’s more to Antarctica than meets the eye. Each winter, a new blanket of snow covers the ground, and the layer of snow below it freezes solid. As the flakes freeze, they trap tiny pockets of air. Over time, the frozen bubbles become buried beneath thousands of layers of ice. The trapped gases contain clues about what was happening on Earth when the ice formed.

Murat Aydin is a scientist who studies Earth’s climate, or average weather patterns. He is analyzing Antarctica’s ice to learn what Earth was like thousands of years ago. “It’s like going back in time,” he says.

Antarctica is the world’s most barren continent. Temperatures there are freezing cold. They can dip to -84 degrees Celsius (-120 degrees Fahrenheit). The land is covered in an ice sheet. It’s up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) thick.

But there’s more to Antarctica than meets the eye. A new blanket of snow covers the ground each winter. The layer of snow below it freezes solid. The flakes trap tiny pockets of air as they freeze. The frozen bubbles become buried over time. They lie under thousands of layers of ice. The trapped gases contain clues. They can help scientists learn about Earth’s past.   

Murat Aydin is a scientist who studies Earth’s climate. Climate is the average weather over a long period time. Aydin is looking at Antarctica’s ice. He wants to learn what Earth was like thousands of years ago. “It’s like going back in time,” he says.    

Before Aydin can study the ice, he must bring it to the surface. Researchers use long drills to dig deep into the ice sheet. The drills remove long cylinders called ice cores.

In 2016, Aydin led a team of 10 scientists to the South Pole to extract ice cores. Over two months, the team collected ice from almost 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) deep. That’s about equal to six Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other! The oldest section of ice formed 55,000 years ago. At that time, Earth was so cold that large masses of ice called glaciers covered much of its surface.

Aydin sent the ice to the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility in Colorado. Thousands of ice cores are stored at that facility in a giant freezer. Scientists like Aydin travel there to study them. 

Aydin must first bring ice to the surface. Then he can study it. Scientists use long drills. They dig deep into the ice sheet. The drills remove long tubes of ice. They’re called ice cores.

Aydin led a team of 10 scientists in 2016. They visited the South Pole to remove ice cores. The team collected ice over two months. It came from almost 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) deep. That’s equal to about six Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other! The oldest part of the ice formed 55,000 years ago. Earth was really cold at that time. Large masses of ice called glaciers covered much of its surface.

Aydin sent the ice to a lab. It’s called the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility. It’s in Colorado. The facility houses thousands of ice cores. They’re stored in a giant freezer. Scientists like Aydin travel there to study them. 

For the past two years, Aydin has been using ice cores from Antarctica to build a timeline of events on ancient Earth.

When a volcano erupts, it spews gas and ash into the atmosphere. Other events, such as when forests burn down during a wildfire, release a different mix of gases. Many of these gases can be identified in ice cores. Pinpointing them can tell scientists when the events took place.

Aydin has been looking at Antarctic ice cores for the past two years. He’s using them to build a timeline of events on ancient Earth.

When a volcano erupts, it spews ash and gas into the atmosphere. Wildfires give off a different mix of gases. Many of these gases can be seen in ice cores. Finding them can tell scientists when the events took place.

Studying the ancient air is a delicate process. To free the gas from the ice, Aydin melts small sections in a sealed container. A special machine measures the gases that escape.

Some scientists use ice cores to study changes in Earth’s climate, such as increases in temperature. By comparing his timeline to those records, Aydin can see how different events affected Earth’s climate. That could help scientists understand how events today might affect the planet for years to come. “It can give us the power to predict the future,” he says.

Figuring out what was in the ancient air is not easy. First, Aydin must free the gases from the ice. He melts small pieces of ice in a sealed container. Then a special machine measures the gases that escape.

Some scientists use ice cores to study Earth’s climate. That includes how temperatures have changed over time. Aydin can compare his timeline to those records. He can see how different events affected Earth’s climate. That could help scientists understand how events today might affect the planet. “It can give us the power to predict the future,” he says.