Alfred Wegener Institute

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Providing drilling technology and expertise

In early January 2025, an international team drilling through Antarctic ice hit bedrock at 2,800 meters depth. They pulled up ice more than 1.2 million years old—the oldest continuous climate record ever extracted. Trapped in the frozen layers are samples of ancient atmospheres in air bubbles, offering a direct window into greenhouse gas concentrations across multiple glacial cycles.

Updated May 19