Brussels, 22/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - On 18 June, the European Commission presented the initial results of the EPICA (European Ice Core Project in Antarctica) initiative, funded by the EU. Scientists from 10 European countries, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom have dug 3 kilometres into the Antarctic ice crust, bringing to the surface a 740,000 year-old ice core. This core, the oldest ever analysed, is the climate's memory. It shows the traces of temperature changes and concentrations of gas and particles in the atmosphere. The results will feed into computer models used to predict the future climate. The preliminary results show that, without human influence, the present "warm season" on Earth could last another 15,000 years. However, given that the concentration of carbon dioxide currently observed is at its highest level for 440,000 years, understanding of climate changes which have occurred in the past will help to predict future climate change due to human activity.
Other results obtained from the EPICA project will be announced at the Palaeoclimate Conference "Reducing the Uncertainties", to be held in Utrecht (Netherlands) from 6 to 10 July. The scientists will continue to dig until the end of the year, to reach rocks at the bottom of the ice crust. This will give them access to 900,000 year-old ice.