Oldest Air on Earth Hiding in Antarctic Ice

Tiny puffs of air from 1.5 million years ago may be locked inside bubbles in the ice nearly two miles beneath Antarctica’s surface. That ancient air, if it exists, would be the oldest sample of Earth’s atmosphere ever recovered.

Antarctic locations (in bright blue) where 1.5 million years old ice could exist. This figure is modified from Van Liefferinge and Pattyn (Climate of the Past, 2013). Credit: Van Liefferinge and Pattyn.
Geoscientists recently identified regions of the frozen continent that potentially preserved the not-so-fresh air. Getting a whiff of the Earth’s oldest breeze would allow an analysis of chemicals in the air at a crucial point from 1.2 million to 900,000 years ago, known as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.

news.discovery.com...

"During the Mid Pleistocene Transition, the Earth went from extreme warmth and cooling cycles alternating approximately every 41,000 years to having the cycles change only about every 100,000 years. Sediment samples drilled from the bottom of the ocean recorded the temperature differences, but scientists don’t know why the global thermostat cycles slowed."


[*Antarctic locations (in bright blue) where 1.5 million years old ice could exist*]


Greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, may have been the culprits behind the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, as well. However, drills will need to pluck a 2.4 – 3.2 (1.5 – 2 mile)-kilometer-long ice core from the Antarctic ice to give scientists the 1.5 million-year-old sample they need.


Guess Al Gore is a little behind times harping about the Greenhouse gases
Looks like it's a never ending cycle, hence why Mother Nature is always evolving, whether we are here or not.

now THIS is the kind of thing i like reading about

fascinating

i love this kind of ancient history stuff

edit: is there nobody here, who wishes they can get in a time machine and just observe from high the dinosaur period, or watch the anglo - zulu war at rorkes drift all safely from up high...

hmm makes you think is that what ufos are? time machines?

mlifeoutthere
now THIS is the kind of thing i like reading about

fascinating

i love this kind of ancient history stuff

edit: is there nobody here, who wishes they can get in a time machine and just observe from high the dinosaur period, or watch the anglo - zulu war at rorkes drift all safely from up high...

hmm makes you think is that what ufos are? time machines?

edit on 6-11-2013 by mlifeoutthere because: (no reason given)

I totally agree, I would love to be "up there" watching to see for myself was actually went on there/then. I also can't wait till they release their findings although it will likely take years...

UFO = Time Machines heh!?!? I smell burning, must be my brain activating...

mlifeoutthere
i love this kind of ancient history stuff

edit: is there nobody here, who wishes they can get in a time machine and just observe from high the dinosaur period,

Observe T-Rex from high? Yes, that would be cool.

Observe T-Rex from the ground? That would be scary. They look scary even when they're dead, I can't even imagine what kind of scary they would be alive.

But your comment is a reminder that 1.5 million years ago only seems like a long time on human time scales. On geological and evolutionary time scales, dinosaurs had already been extinct for 98% as long as they are today, so this air isn't even getting close to reaching back as far as dinosaur times. It would be nice if we had a longer record of air samples, but I guess we don't.

reply to post by mlifeoutthere


I would love to go back in time and observe not only the dinosaur period and the Atlantian time.

And yes I have often wondered if UFO's are maybe ancients from this planet returning home in their time machine and finding out that our Governments are not so welcoming.

Stari

reply to post by snarky412


I believe that Earth is alive just like us, well not intelligent like us but it goes through its changes.

We need to treat our home better so it lives longer.

We had no hurricanes hitting Florida this year, well hitting the USA. Or did one hit near Canada? I could have that info wrong. But anyhow it makes me wonder how next year is going to pan out. We might be in a world of trouble. Sandy was a Super storm and let's be honest, it is just the beginning of what's coming. At least that is my opinion.

Great post Snarky, starred and flagged!

Stari

Stari
reply to post by snarky412

 

I believe that Earth is alive just like us, well not intelligent like us but it goes through its changes.

We need to treat our home better so it lives longer.

We had no hurricanes hitting Florida this year, well hitting the USA. Or did one hit near Canada? I could have that info wrong. But anyhow it makes me wonder how next year is going to pan out. We might be in a world of trouble. Sandy was a Super storm and let's be honest, it is just the beginning of what's coming. At least that is my opinion.

Great post Snarky, starred and flagged!

Stari

Thanks....

Way back when I was in grade school, my science teacher explained how the earth has and always will evolve, long before we ever heard of 'Global Warming' -- which is about $money$ -- so whether we are here or not, Mother Nature is going to do her thing. All we can do is hang on for a bumpy ride.
Of course, that was when teachers taught facts, unlike now where some teachers are swayed by outside influence.

As far as hurricanes goes this year, most have been in the Pacific.
And as of right now, there is a major Typhoon barreling down on the Philippines --CAT 5 -- so I pray those people make it out okay. There is nothing to slow it down, and sustained winds earlier today were 190 MPH with gusts up to 230 MPH. Haven't heard the latest updates yet.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people in its path.....

-----------
ETA: It passed the Philippines earlier today, strongest ever recorded....haven't heard any reports yet as to damage/injuries or deaths

reply to post by snarky412


Yes, I just heard about the typhoon now its headed to Vietnam.