IODP drills through 55 million years

Nov. 16, Bremen, Germany--Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) scientists from ten countries gathered over the last two weeks to analyze sediment cores taken from 430 meters beneath the Arctic Ocean seafloor. Gathered by the Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX) science party, the core samples are the first retrieved from the Arctic Ocean (ACEX) to reveal the past 55 million years of climate history.
According to ACEX co-chief scientists Kate Moran, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, and Jan Backman, a professor at Stockholm University, the core records indicate that the Arctic Ocean was frozen much earlier than previously thought. "We are trying to define the exact time when ice appeared, but it seems clear that perennial ice existed as early as 15 million years ago," said Professor Moran. Read full news release on IODP site.