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Scientists working in Antarctica have identified the oldest directly dated ice and trapped air sample ever found on Earth from the Allan Hills region of East Antarctica. The sample contains tiny air bubbles preserved in ice that is around 6 million years old, with its age determined using argon isotope analysis of the trapped gases.

Allan Hills Ice and Ancient Air Findings

The Allan Hills site is located in East Antarctica and is well known for exposed ancient blue ice, where extremely old ice is naturally preserved near the surface. Unlike many older climate records that rely on indirect evidence, this discovery provides directly dated ancient air trapped in ice, offering a rare glimpse into Earth’s past atmosphere.

The analysis suggests that Antarctica has undergone long-term cooling of approximately 12°C over the last 6 million years.

Research Team and Scientific Publication

The discovery was made by researchers associated with the National Science Foundation–funded Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX). The study was led by Sarah Shackleton of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and John Higgins of Princeton University.

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in late October 2025. The research team used argon isotope measurements from the trapped air bubbles to accurately determine the age of the ice.

Beyond EPICA–Oldest Ice Project

The European Beyond EPICA–Oldest Ice project completed its final Antarctic expedition in May 2026. The mission recovered a 2.8-kilometre ice core from Little Dome C in East Antarctica, which extends climate records back approximately 1.2 million years.

This ice core contains trapped greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, helping scientists study Earth’s past climate and the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, a period when ice age cycles changed significantly.

Significance of the Discoveries

The Allan Hills sample represents the oldest directly dated air ever recovered from ice, while the Beyond EPICA core provides the longest continuous ice climate record from Antarctica. Together, these findings offer complementary insights into Earth’s long-term climate evolution.

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