Deep Ice Core Drilling for RAID in Antarctica
Timberline Drilling had the privilege of working on the Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) project in Antarctica. Timberline provides field drilling expertise and staff for the RAID project to drill deep cores into the ice in search for “very old ice” that can help scientists research ancient climate changes and how this could affect the climate today.
Mission
The Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) will penetrate the Antarctic ice sheets in order to core through deep ice, the glacial bed, and into bedrock below.
Objective
RAID will give the scientific community access to a richer record of change on a variety of timescales, from the billion-year rock record to thousand-year ice and climate histories. Learn more about the RAID Project on their website.
“The oldest ice on Earth probably is hiding somewhere in Antarctica, because this frozen continent holds ice that’s hundreds of thousands and even millions of years old. Scientists are hoping to find it.”
Antarctica has been covered by an ice sheet for over 30 million years, yet finding ancient ice remains challenging. This remote continent serves as a unique and accessible natural laboratory for studying its polar landscape, complete with vast ice sheets, subglacial mountains, and hidden lakes. These interconnected geologic, glacial, and hydrologic systems are crucial to understanding the global climate shifts currently occurring. Observing changes in Antarctica offers insights into broader climate patterns.
New snowfall continually adds fresh ice layers to the top of the Antarctic ice sheet. However, the oldest layers deep below can melt due to geothermal heat rising from the ground.