Scientists Drill Deep in Antarctic Ice, Discover Strange Fossils

A team of 29 scientists and engineers drilled into the ice in West Antarctica. They lived in tents for almost ten weeks.

The team worked hard to drill 200 meters into bedrock. It was very difficult. After three tries, they finally succeeded.

They pulled up a 228-meter cylinder of mud and rock. This is the deepest sediment core ever taken from under Antarctic ice. The layers inside it are surprising scientists. They show parts of the Earth when temperatures were much warmer.

To reach the sediment, they first melted ice with hot water. Then they used long pipes to collect samples. The finds included both gravel and fine mud. Some layers had marine life, which means there was once an open ocean in this area.

Scientists estimate the core covers around 23 million years. They believe it can show how the ice sheet will react to rising temperatures. The core will now be sent to New Zealand for further study. This work will help people understand future sea-level rise better.

How much do you know?

How long did the team live in tents while drilling in Antarctica?

5 weeks

10 weeks

15 weeks

20 weeks

How deep did the team drill into the bedrock?

150 meters

200 meters

250 meters

300 meters

What is the total length of the sediment core pulled up by the team?

200 meters

228 meters

250 meters

300 meters

What did the scientists use to melt the ice in order to reach the sediment?

Cold water

Electric heaters

Hot water

Chemical substances

How many years of Earth history does the sediment core estimate to cover?

5 million years

15 million years

23 million years

50 million years

Where will the sediment core be sent for further study?

Australia

New Zealand

Canada

United States

The team worked for almost ten weeks in Antarctica.

True False

The sediment core taken was the shallowest ever recorded.

True False

The finds included only fine mud with no gravel.

True False

Some layers of the sediment core had signs of marine life.

True False

The core will help understand past sea levels but not future sea-level rise.

True False

The team successfully drilled into bedrock on their first attempt.

True False

The team lived in tents for almost weeks.

The team drilled meters into bedrock.

The sediment core pulled up by the team is meters long.

The sediment core covers around million years.

To collect samples, the team used pipes.

The core will be sent to for further study.

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