As you know how to properly drill an ice core by now, you may wonder what is going on in the laboratory.
This video introduces you to how samples are prepared for properly analysing the constituents of ice cores:
First, ice cores are brought to a laboratory or "working freezer" where the temperature is cold (about -24°C) so the ice cores can be preserved. These cores are then cut in sections nice and square. A ceramic knife is used to clean the edges of samples. Arrows are put in the wall parallel to the table so we know which edge of the core is older or younger. Finally, the samples are melted section by sections and its constituents (dust, gas...) can be analysed with specific methods.
Next post will focus on how certain constituents are analysed and what they tell us about past climates.
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