Scientists have drilled 1.7 miles deep into Antarctica, pulling up an ice core sample that dates back at least 1.2 million years. They expect the sample to offer new insights into the evolution of Earth’s climate and atmosphere throughout history.

Led by The Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy (ISP-CNR), the scientists worked for more than 200 days, drilling into the ice and processing the ice core at a remote site in East Antarctica called Little Dome C, with a balmy average summer temperature of -31 degrees Fahrenheit (-35 degrees Celsius).

In a remarkable scientific achievement, researchers from the Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice project have successfully drilled a 2,800-meter (9,186-foot) long ice core from the remote Little Dome C site in Antarctica.

A team of scientists have drilled one of the oldest ice cores yet, penetrating nearly 2 miles to Antarctic bedrock to reach ice that is at least 1.2 million years old.

The fourth Antarctic campaign of the “Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice” project, funded by the European Commission, has achieved a historic milestone for climate science. An international team of scientists successfully drilled a 2,

By drilling 1.7 miles beneath the icy surface, the team has pulled a 1.2 million-year-old ice core from Antarctic bedrock. The gases trapped in the core are expected to yield "high-resolution" insights into Earth's climate history.