Record-Breaking Core in West Antarctica Adapted from Information by Antarctica New Zealand A New Zealand co-led international team has drilled the longest ever sediment core from under an ice sheet, providing a record that will help climate scientists forecast the fate of the ice sheet in our warming world. This scientific and technological achievement took place more than 430 miles from the nearest Antarctic station (Scott Base), at a deep-field camp, at Crary Ice Rise, on the edge of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. There was 748 feet of ancient mud and rock drilled from under roughly 1710 feet of ice. The sediment core holds an archive of past environmental conditions at the site from warmer periods of earth’s history, vital information for climate scientists to determine how much and how fast the ice sheet will melt in the future under our warming climate. The Sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to 2°C (SWAIS2C) project recovered the sediment core, providing a direct and comprehensive record of how this area of the ice sheet has behaved during past warm periods. The team drilled through layers of sediment below the ice sheet and pulled up the core in lengths of about nine feet. Researchers examined the sediment and encountered a wide variety of sediment types from fine-grained muds through to firmer gravels with larger rocks embedded within. Although it is already thought there has been open ocean in this region in the past, such conditions were indicated by the presence of shell fragments and the remains of marine organisms that require light to survive. This implies a partial or total retreat of the Ross Ice Shelf. A team of 29 scientists, drill operators, engineers, and polar specialists lived in tents on the snow at Crary Ice Rise, success was not guaranteed. SWAIS2C’s previous two attempts at drilling had been thwarted by technical challenges. No one had ever drilled geological records that deep under an ice sheet and so far away from any main base of resources. The groundbreaking work was supported by two national Antarctic programs. Antarctica New Zealand provided the capability to tow the custom-designed drilling system and field supplies about 680 miles across the Ross Ice Shelf. This team then established and operated the remote field camp through a nearly ten-week season. The National Science Foundation’s United States Antarctic Program provided critical airlift and other logistical support. Weather presented a significant challenge, with flights into camp delayed by weeks due to freezing fog. To access the elusive sediment, the team used a hot-water drill to melt a hole through the roughly 1710 feet of ice; then lowered more than 4265 feet of riser and drill string pipe down the hole. Once the core was pulled up, the scientists documented, photographed, x-rayed, and sampled the tube of sediment. The team worked in shifts around the clock to make the best use of the limited time on-site. Preliminary dating of the sediment was based on the identification of tiny fossils of marine organisms found in some of the layers. A wider team of scientists from the ten countries collaborating in the SWAIS2C project will apply a range of techniques to refine and confirm the age of the records. The core was transported back to Scott Base and will soon make its way to New Zealand. Samples will then be sent to SWAIS2C scientists around the world for further analysis. “Our multidisciplinary international team is already collaborating to unravel the climate secrets hidden in the core. With our drilling system having been put to the test under these tough Antarctic conditions and passing with flying colors, we’re looking ahead to plan future drilling to continue our mission to learn more about the sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to global warming,” said Cochief Scientist Dr. Huw Horgan from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. See us at GROUNDWATER WEEK Booth 922 12 NOVEMBER 2026 WorldWide Drilling Resource®
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