Collecting and preserving ancient Arctic ice to better understand climate change

Clock is ticking for ice memory: Scientists in the Arctic are on a mission to better understand the phenomenon of “Arctic amplification,” which is causing the Arctic to warm faster than the rest of the planet, the mission organizers said in a statement. The team aims to achieve this by preserving samples of ancient ice in an area that is at risk of disappearing due to climate change. Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago is disappearing four times faster than the global average, they said, with temperatures rising four to five degrees celsius in recent decades.

What for: The team’s research aims to scientifically understand the role of sea ice, bromine, and mercury in the Arctic amplification phenomenon. “We aim at determining the role of sea ice in Arctic amplification and its impact on the atmosphere, in particular on the chemical processes of bromine and mercury,” said Svalbard expedition leader Andrea Spolaor.

And clinging to ice memory: The expedition, in collaboration with the Ice Memory Foundation, aims to collect an ice core that will be preserved at a planned Ice Memory Sanctuary in Antarctica. A dedicated snow cave will be accessible to future scientists with new technologies and ideas after the glaciers disappear. The collected samples will allow them to continue research on the environment and global climate.