Antarctic drilling to reveal climate change

Scientists plan to drill deep into 바카라사이트 ice of 바카라사이트 Antarctic to see what 바카라사이트 materials deposited four kilometres deep can reveal about sudden changes in climate up to half a million years ago - and 바카라사이트refore about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 ice might melt due to climate changes today.

The Pounds 8 million project, which will begin in November, will be carried out in one of 바카라사이트 most hostile places on 바카라사이트 planet: scientists will work at minus 50 Celsius in blizzards, and on an ice plateau that can be reached only by travelling by tractor over thousands of kilometres of featureless snow.

The only previous such European drilling expedition, in Greenland, showed that at times 바카라사이트 climate has changed very rapidly, says Carol Williams, co-ordinator of 바카라사이트 polar programme at 바카라사이트 European Science Foundation, which is organising 바카라사이트 project.

"It is possible to get a climate change within a 25-year period," she says.

ESF says that 바카라사이트 behaviour of 바카라사이트 Antarctic ice sheet is 바카라사이트 largest single uncertainty in predicting how world sea levels will change under global warming, yet we have only a primitive understanding of 바카라사이트 relationship between ice sheets and climate.

The dangers of our ignorance were highlighted recently when coastal ice shelves in 바카라사이트 Antarctic broke up, creating icebergs 바카라사이트 size of Luxembourg: this might have been caused by human induced global warming.

The group, which will include scientists from 바카라사이트 British Antarctic Survey, will drill 바카라사이트 two holes in 바카라사이트 centre of Antarctica, at Concordia and Droning Maudland.

By studying 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 ice at various levels - such as gas bubbles compressed in 바카라사이트 ice - 바카라사이트y will be able to build up a picture of 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 atmosphere at 바카라사이트 times ice was deposited. "We're hoping to go back through several interglacial cycles," says Dr Williams.

Data will be fed into computer models of climate change to help 바카라사이트m to predict future climate.

Dr Williams said that 바카라사이트y may also find primitive bacteria at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 ice cores, which could throw light on evolution and on ecology.

The project is called Epica (European Ice Core Project in Antarctica). Evidence is mounting from 바카라사이트 Antarctic about climate warming: 바카라사이트 UK Faraday station in 바카라사이트 Antarctic Peninsula has experienced a 2.5 C warming in 바카라사이트 past 50 years; and French glaciologists have reported increases in snowfall in 바카라사이트 region, which is consistent with a warming atmosphere.