Multi-gas component measurements of Beyond EPICA ice older than 700 kyr

The Beyond EPICA project has extended our continuous ice core archive to 1.2—potentially 1.5—million years before present, covering the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT). Ice older than that of the original EPICA core, spanning up to 800 kyr, is preserved in approximately only 100 meters of core.

To analyse this invaluable ice, European laboratories will converge in Copenhagen in February–March 2026 with their equipment to conduct simultaneous measurements of as many gas components as possible. Planned analyses include CH₄, CO, N₂O, and isotopes of O₂, N₂, and Ar. Since a methane record is a specific deliverable of the Beyond EPICA project, the campaign is designed to achieve the highest-resolution methane data possible.

The method involves melting a 3.5 × 3.5 cm ice stick on a specialised melt head. The inner, clean portion of the meltwater is then directed through a membrane system that separates the ancient air from the water. The meltwater itself is analysed for conductivity and dust content to synchronise the gas record with detailed chemical measurements of the core. The liberated air is analysed in real time using a suite of instruments. For the full set of gases, we combine two mass spectrometers with three laser spectrometers.

We will report on the outcome of the measurement campaign and present the first results.