Ice Core Close Up (IMAGE)

Desert Research Institute

Ice Core Close Up

Caption

An ice core, pushed out of the drill head. On Dec. 1, 2011, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core project, funded by the National Science Foundation, reached its final depth of 3,405 meters (11,171 feet; over 2 miles), recovering the longest US ice core to date from the polar regions. The 12.2-centimeter (4.8-inch) diameter cylinders of ice that make up the ice core contain uniquely detailed information on past environmental conditions during the last 68,000 years.

Credit

Mark Twickler, University of New Hampshire

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