Ice cores now stored in Antarctic sanctuary as glaciers melt

Scientists inaugurated the first global repository for mountain ice cores at Concordia station, storing the first two Alpine samples from Mont Blanc and Grand Combin at about -52 C. The Ice Memory Foundation transported 1.7 tonnes of ice to the Antarctic snow cave after a refrigerated 50-day journey from Trieste.

Scientists have opened the first global repository for mountain ice cores at the Concordia research station on the Antarctic Plateau. The site will store physical samples of ice taken from melting glaciers so future researchers can study past atmospheric conditions. The Ice Memory Foundation led the project and transported the first two Alpine cores from Mont Blanc and Grand Combin to the site. The samples were shipped from Trieste in boxes totaling 1.7 tonnes and are kept at about -52 C in a snow cave. Key details: - The repository is located at Concordia research station on the Antarctic Plateau. - The first two mountain ice cores come from Mont Blanc (France) and Grand Combin (Switzerland). - Boxes containing 1.7 tonnes of ice arrived after a 50-day refrigerated journey from Trieste, Italy. - The cores are stored in a snow cave at a consistent temperature of about -52 C. - The Ice Memory Foundation, launched in 2015, is a consortium of research institutes from France, Italy and Switzerland. - Scientists have identified and drilled ice cores at 10 glacier sites and plan further transfers; the project aims to craft an international convention on sample preservation over the coming decade. Summary: The repository preserves frozen records of past atmospheric conditions as glaciers retreat, keeping materials for study by future researchers. The project will continue to add cores from identified sites and is working toward an international agreement to safeguard the samples over the coming decade.