What ancient ice from Antarctica tells us about the climate
Clip: 1/12/2025 | 2m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
What an ancient ice core from Antarctica can tell us about our climate’s past and future
Scientists say they have tapped into an extraordinary archive of the Earth’s climate in the ice deep beneath Antarctica. They hope it will help them understand both how the climate changed in the past, how it’s changing now and how it may change in the future. John Yang reports.
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What ancient ice from Antarctica tells us about the climate
Clip: 1/12/2025 | 2m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Scientists say they have tapped into an extraordinary archive of the Earth’s climate in the ice deep beneath Antarctica. They hope it will help them understand both how the climate changed in the past, how it’s changing now and how it may change in the future. John Yang reports.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipFINALLY TONIGHT, SCIENTISTS SAY THEY HAVE TAPPED INTO AN EXTRAORDINARY ARCHIVE OF THE EARTH'S CLIMATE IN THE ICE DEEP BENEATH ANTARCTICA.
THEY HOPE IT WILL HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGED IN THE PAST AND HOW IT IS CHANGING NOW AND HOW IT MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
AT A SITE IN EASTERN ANTARCTICA KNOWN AS LITTLE DOME C FIELD BASE EACH OF THE LAST FOUR SUMMERS HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO DRILLING HERE.
>> WORKING HERE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IS NOT EASY.
WE WORK EVERY DAY IN EXTREME CONDITIONS.
THE TEMPERATURE IS NEVER HIGHER THAN -14 FAHRENHEIT.
ANCHOR: THEY GOT THE RESULTS THEY HOPED FOR.
THEY EXTRACTED A TIME CAPSULE ROUGHLY 1.2 MILLION YEARS OLD.
IT IS SVITOLINA THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
IT REPRESENTS A RECORD OF THE CLIMATE.
HE COORDINATES THE PROJECT.
>> I WILL NOW BE ABLE TO ASSESS WHEN THIS STARTED.
WE WILL UNDERSTAND WHEN ANTARCTICA WAS COMPLETELY COVERED BY ICE.
THERE IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT.
THERE IS SEDIMENT AND MICROORGANISMS AND BACTERIA THAT CAN TELL US HOW LIFE DEVELOPED IN THOSE FARAWAY TIMES.
ANCHOR: THE SAME TEAM OF RESEARCHERS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL HAD DRILLED AN ICE CORE DATING BACK ABOUT 800,000 YEARS.
IT TOLD SCIENTISTS THAT GREENHOUSE GAS CONCENTRATIONS OVER THAT TIME, EVEN AT THE WARMEST TIMES, NEVER EXCEEDED THE LEVELS SEEN SINCE THE DAWN OF THE INDUSTRIAL AGE.
HE WAS RECENTLY AWARDED THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE FOR HIS CAREER STUDY OF ICE SHEETS.
HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
HE SAYS THIS NEW SAMPLE IS MORE THAN JUST A HISTORY LESSON.
>> THE MODELS THAT STIMULATE -- SIMULATE THE CLIMATE, WE WANT THEM TO BE AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE.
WE CAN SEE WHAT THEY DO WELL.
IT IS ALREADY REALLY GOOD.
THIS WILL MAKE IT BETTER.
♪
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...