PARIS: Scientists have succeeded in saving samples of ancient Arctic ice for analysis in a race against time before it melts away due to climate change, they said this week. The eight French, Italian and Norwegian researchers camped in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in March and April, braving storms and mi
PARIS: Scientists have succeeded in saving samples of ancient Arctic ice for analysis in a race against time before it melts away due to climate change, they said this week.
Analysing chemicals in such deep"ice cores" provides valuable data about centuries of past climatic and environmental conditions, long after the original glacier has disappeared. Instead of the expected -25 degrees Celsius, fierce winds forced the temperature down to -40C, delaying drilling for several days.Even though radar data collected since 2005 showed there was some meltwater inside the Holtedalhfonna glacier,"we did not expect to find such an extended, abundant and saturated aquifer in the selected drilling site, at the end of winter", explained Jean-Charles Gallet, snow physicist at the Norwegian Polar Institute and expedition coordinator.
On Friday, the United Nations said the world's 40-odd"reference glaciers" - those for which long-term observations exist - are more than 26 metres thinner now on average than in 1970. "It is our responsibility as glaciologists of this generation to make sure a bit of it is preserved."
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