Ice Memory

Glaciologists can soon trace climate history going back at least 120,000 years in time. By understanding climate conditions of the past, scientists may be able to predict the climate changes of the future.

The inland ice covers more than 80 percent of Greenland, and in the centre of the huge island the ice cap is more than three kilometres thick. The enormous ice cap accu-mulated over 100,000 years and each layer is a relic of the climate that first formed it.

A camera crew followed the drillings during the summer of 2003, when scientists managed to drill all the way through the ice cap.

In addition to contemporary footage, the programme contains unique archival footage illustrating the history of the ice core drillings in Greenland over the last 30 years.