Expert lowers camera 93 meters into Antarctic hole, finds ice aged 20 lakh years

Experts researching ice in Antarctica have found ice slabs estimated to be around two million years old. This research is being carried out as part of  Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX) project whose goal is to extend existing ice core record (which only goes back 800,000 years) to 3 million years. Interestingly, said moment of historic exploration was caught on camera thanks to a researcher who lowered his camera down an 83 meter hole in continent. 

video is said to have been me by Ph.D. student Austin Carter who is part of research team collecting ice samples in Antarctica. As for COLDEX, it is run by National Science Foundation (NSF) and was found in 2021 to explore Antarctica for oldest possible ice core records of Earth's climate and environmental history. 

Why explore old ice samples?

Exploring ancient ice samples, according to experts, is closest thing to time travel in polar science when it comes to determining level of climate change that has occurred over time. It is so because older ice samples have air bubbles locked inside of m and y can help in understanding change in carbon dioxide levels and how y changed surface temperatures, says Scientific American. Exploring ancient ice also helps measure amount of greenhouse gas levels millions of years ago. 

In order to make se measurements, a new team of paleoclimatologists from Europe, Australia and US have joined COLDEX and ventured to Antarctica. Until now, record for oldest ice discovered was confirmed in 2004 after analysing multiple layers of ice.