In Pictures: Searching for Earth's Oldest Ice

Guarini PhD student Jacob Chalif is braving sub-zero temperatures and 40-miles-per-hour winds this winter in search of the planet's oldest ice. As a member of a multi-institutional team sent to Antarctica by the National Science Foundation's Center for Oldest Ice Exploration, he and 11 fellow scientists are drilling for ice cores in hopes of breaking the record for the oldest sample, which is four million years old. Air bubbles in the ice provide snapshots of past atmospheric air, ultimately helping scientists predict future weather patterns. 

"Ice cores provide an unparalleled archive of past atmospheric air. There is no other way to get in a time machine and get air that is a million years old," Chalif said in an interview with Vermont's WCAX. The project closely relates to Chalif's work at Dartmouth, where he serves as the lab manager of the Ice, Climate, and Environment Lab, which is led by earth sciences professor Erich Osterberg. The researchers plan to bring several thousand pounds of ice back to the U.S. for further study. (Photos courtesy of Jacob Chalif) 

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Antarctica's remote Allan Hills has been a hotspot for climate scientists for decades.

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Chalif at the Allan Hills campsite

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The journey from the campsite to the ice core drilling station takes ten to 40 minutes, via a snowmobile.

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Chalif holds the tool used to drill into the ice.

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Researchers remove ice samples after the drilling process.

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A look at the ice after the drilling tool is removed from the ground.

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Chalif says he's excited to see how the mission informs understanding of the long-term processes that drive climate change.