Scientists successfully drilled a hole more than a mile deep through Antarctica’s ice and into the sediment below — an accomplishment they say could lead to a better understanding of the future of sea levels in the face of climate change.
The researchers hope that by studying the sediment under the ancient Antarctic ice, they’ll be able to better predict how climate change will cause the frozen continent to melt — and how much the melting ice will affect global sea levels.
The team used hot water to carve a narrow, record-setting hole two kilometers (1.2 miles) long through Antarctica’s ice. They worked in conditions that they said dropped to -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit.)
The drilling project, called BEAMISH, has been in the works for 20 years. A previous attempt, in 2004, was unsuccessful.
The researchers hope that by studying the sediment under the ancient Antarctic ice, they’ll be able to better predict how climate change will cause the frozen continent to melt — and how much the melting ice will affect global sea levels.
