Scientists Drill Into Antarctica to 1,800 Meters, Melting Through 523 Meters of Ice with Hot Water, Descend Over 1,300 Meters to Bedrock, and Discover Shells and Marine Organisms Indicating Open Ocean for Millions of Years

Written by Noel Budeguer

Published on 23/02/2026 at 20:46

Updated on 23/02/2026 at 20:47

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A Project with 29 Experts Drills into the Antarctic Ice, Finds Fragments of Organisms That Depend on Sunlight, and Reveals That the Region Once Had Open Water Before Freezing Again

A historic drilling beneath the West Antarctic ice has revealed surprising evidence about the Earth’s climatic past. Scientists managed to reach the bedrock nearly 1,800 meters deep and extracted a geological core that records up to 23 million years of history.

The discovery is part of the international SWAIS2C project and could transform the way we understand the melting of polar ice caps. The recovered material offers direct clues about periods when the ocean was open where today there is a thick layer of ice.

An Unprecedented Climatic Record

To reach the ancient bed, researchers initially drilled 523 meters of ice using a pressurized hot water system. They then descended more than 1,300 meters with technical equipment to recover 228 meters of sediments and rocks.

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Evidence of Open Ocean Beneath the Ice

Preliminary analyses revealed everything from fine mud to compact rock fragments. Part of the material indicates stable subglacial conditions, but other layers brought an even more striking discovery.

Fragments of shells and remains of marine organisms that depend on sunlight were identified among the sediments. This indicates that, during certain periods, there was open ocean where today there is more than 500 meters of ice.

The evidence suggests that the ice shelf in the region has retreated significantly in the past. This data reinforces the idea that West Antarctica is more sensitive to climate change than previously thought.

Direct Impact on Global Sea Level

West Antarctica contains enough ice to raise sea levels by four to five meters if complete melting occurs. Satellite observations have already shown accelerated mass loss in the region, increasing concern among the scientific community.

The new geological core, now being analyzed at the Scott Base scientific station, will allow for more accurate calculations of ocean temperatures during periods of ice retreat. This information is crucial for estimating the impact of global warming in the coming decades.

The discovery not only reveals a “hidden world” preserved for millions of years but also sends a clear warning about the planet’s future. Antarctica’s past may be the key to understanding how much sea levels could rise this century.

Scientists Drill Into Antarctica to 1,800 Meters, Melting Through 523 Meters of Ice with Hot Water, Descend Over 1,300 Meters to Bedrock, and Discover Shells and Marine Organisms Indicating Open Ocean for Millions of Years

A Project with 29 Experts Drills into the Antarctic Ice, Finds Fragments of Organisms That Depend on Sunlight, and Reveals That the Region Once Had Open Water Before Freezing Again

An Unprecedented Climatic Record

Evidence of Open Ocean Beneath the Ice

Direct Impact on Global Sea Level

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Scientists Drill Into Antarctica to 1,800 Meters, Melting Through 523 Meters of Ice with Hot Water, Descend Over 1,300 Meters to Bedrock, and Discover Shells and Marine Organisms Indicating Open Ocean for Millions of Years

A Project with 29 Experts Drills into the Antarctic Ice, Finds Fragments of Organisms That Depend on Sunlight, and Reveals That the Region Once Had Open Water Before Freezing Again

An Unprecedented Climatic Record

Evidence of Open Ocean Beneath the Ice

Direct Impact on Global Sea Level

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

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Can I pay a card using the limit of another credit card?