An international team of researchers shared on Thursday that they have successfully drilled one of the most ancient ice cores ever, reaching close to 2 miles (2.8 kilometers) deep to the Antarctic bedrock. The ice extracted is believed to be at least 1.2 million years old.

The investigation of this old ice is anticipated to shed light on the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere and climate. Researchers believe that these findings will provide valuable insights into the historical changes of Ice Age cycles and the impacts of atmospheric carbon on climate variations.

Carlo Barbante, an Italian glaciologist and the leader of the Beyond EPICA project, which focuses on collecting this ice core, commented on the significance of their findings. He stated, “With the ice core, we will gain insight into the transformations in greenhouse gas levels, various chemicals, and dust in the atmosphere.” Barbante also oversees the Polar Science Institute at Italy’s National Research Council.

This team had previously collected an ice core from a site dating back around 800,000 years, but this recent achievement marks a greater depth of 2.8 kilometers (approximately 1.7 miles). Over four summers, a dedicated team of 16 scientists and support staff worked under brutal conditions, facing average temperatures around minus-35 degrees Celsius (minus-25.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Among the crew was Italian researcher Federico Scoto, who was part of the team that successfully reached the bedrock at the beginning of January near a site known as Little Dome C, close to the Concordia Research Station. Scoto expressed joy at reaching their goal, saying, “It was a significant moment for us when we reached the bedrock.” The age of the ice was confirmed to be at least 1.2 million years through isotope analysis.

Both Barbante and Scoto highlighted that previous analyses from the earlier EPICA campaign indicated that concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane during the warmest phases of the last 800,000 years never matched the levels observed since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Barbante noted, “Currently, carbon dioxide levels are 50% higher than the peak levels seen over the last 800,000 years.” The Beyond EPICA initiative is supported by funding from the European Union and various nations throughout Europe, with Italy as the coordinating country for the project.

Richard Alley, a climate scientist at Penn State who was not part of the research team, expressed enthusiasm about the project. Recently honored with the National Medal of Science for his extensive research on ice sheets, Alley emphasized the importance of advances in ice core studies, stating they help to better understand past climate conditions and human influences on current climate change. He remarked that reaching the bedrock presents exciting opportunities to learn more about Earth’s history beyond the ice records.

“This is truly, truly, amazingly fantastic,” Alley enthused. “They will uncover incredible knowledge.”