Scientists Recover 228-Meter Antarctic Core as Fossils Trace 23 Million Years of Ice Sheet Retreat
Updated
Updated · ecoportal.net · Jul 4
Scientists Recover 228-Meter Antarctic Core as Fossils Trace 23 Million Years of Ice Sheet Retreat
3 articles · Updated · ecoportal.net · Jul 4
Summary
A 228-meter sediment core pulled from beneath West Antarctica contains fossils and geological layers preliminarily dated to as much as 23 million years, giving scientists their clearest direct record yet from under the ice sheet.
To reach it, a 29-member team melted through 523 meters of ice at Crary Ice Rise, then lowered more than 1,300 meters of pipe into the seafloor after weather delays and two earlier failed attempts.
The core shows alternating debris-rich and fine marine layers, indicating the West Antarctic Ice Sheet advanced and retreated repeatedly and that an open ocean once existed where grounded ice now sits.
That evidence matters because the ice sheet holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by 4 to 5 meters, and some layers come from past warm periods above 2°C over pre-industrial levels.
Detailed dating and geochemical work will take years, but researchers say the core should sharply improve estimates of how fast Antarctic ice loss could drive future sea-level rise.
This 23-million-year record reveals Antarctica's tipping point. Have we already sealed the fate of our world's coastlines?
Scientists found hidden channels melting Antarctica tenfold faster. What other climate surprises are our models completely missing?
As extreme weather hinders Antarctic science, are we losing the ability to study the climate crisis just as it accelerates?
23 Million Years Beneath the Ice: How the SWAIS2C Antarctic Core Redefines Climate and Sea-Level Predictions
Overview
In early 2026, the SWAIS2C project achieved a major breakthrough by drilling through 523 meters of Antarctic ice and recovering a 228-meter sediment core from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This core, now in New Zealand, provides an unmatched 23-million-year record of Earth's climate history. By analyzing its layers, scientists can reconstruct ancient temperatures and sea levels, offering a direct window into how the ice sheet responded to past warm periods. This achievement, made possible by round-the-clock teamwork and advanced drilling technology, is set to greatly improve predictions of future sea-level rise and climate change impacts.