Unexplainable

Ice Sheet Time Machine

28 snips
Aug 27, 2025
Richard Alley, a renowned geoscientist from Pennsylvania State University, dives into the secrets of the Camp Century ice core, linked to a U.S. Army project in the '50s. He reveals how this underground city holds a 100,000-year climate history and uncovers vital lessons about past environmental changes. The discussion highlights the implications of rising sea levels and the necessity for public investment in climate research, all while showcasing the thrill of scientific discovery and its relevance to our changing world.
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ANECDOTE

City Built Inside The Ice

  • Camp Century was an underground research base carved into the Greenland ice sheet with tunnels, a mess hall, latrines, and a chapel.
  • The base reflected 1950s Cold War priorities and ambitions to master Arctic survival and strategic advantage.
INSIGHT

Ice Holds Multi-Millennial Records

  • Ice layers act as a multi-century record, trapping gases and volcanic fallout that reveal past climates.
  • Each layer becomes a chronological 'page' scientists can read to reconstruct temperature and atmospheric history.
INSIGHT

Ice Holds Multi-Millennial Records

  • Ice layers act as a multi-century record, trapping gases and volcanic fallout that reveal past climates.
  • Scientists recognized ice cores as
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