Preserving glacier climate archives in a warming world: the Ice Memory project and the Italian contribution

Anthropogenic climate change is driving a widespread retreat of glaciers, which has accelerated in recent decades. By 2100, projections indicate that between 25% and 50% of global glacier mass will be lost, depending on the emission scenario [1]. This rapid decline endangers the climatic information preserved in ice layers. The international Ice Memory project aims to safeguard this natural archive by collecting paired ice cores from mid- and high-latitude glaciers [2]. One core is analysed using present-day techniques, while the second is stored in a cave at Dome C, in Antarctica, ensuring long-term access to this climatic information for future generation of scientists.

The Italian Ice Memory team focused on mid-latitude and Arctic glaciers through six dedicated expeditions. Four expeditions target high-elevation Alpine sites above 4,000 m a.s.l.: Grand Combin (attempted in 2020 and successfully in 2025, Switzerland/Italy), Monte Rosa (2021, Italy/Switzerland), and Colle del Lys (2023, Italy/Switzerland). One expedition was carried out in the Apennines at about 2,700 m a.s.l. on the Calderone Glacier (2022, Italy), and another at Svalbard on the Holthedlafonna Glacier (2023, Norway). Drilling operations were performed using an electromechanical drilling system, and a thermal drill was tested for the first time during the 2025 Grand Combin expedition. The main unexpected challenge encountered at both high- and mid- latitude glaciers was the presence of aquifers located tens of meters below the surface. The occurrence of liquid water layers reflects the polythermal feature of these glaciers, which are increasingly suffering the rising of temperatures.

The recovered ice cores will be analysed in the coming months with the novel Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA) system designed at Ca’ Foscari University, in collaboration with the Institute of Polar Science (CNR-ISP). The analyses include measurements of insoluble dust particles, organic, inorganic and emerging compounds, biochemical markers, and stable water isotopes. In addition, ²¹⁰Pb- based dating and palynological indicators will be analysed using discrete methods. Together, these results will allow the reconstruction of past climate variability and atmospheric circulation patterns.

Future Italian expeditions will focus on Asia, particularly on the Karakorum (Pakistan) and the Himalaya (Nepal).

 

[1] Zekollari, H. (2024), Cryosphere 18, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5045-2024

[2] Ice Memory Foundation, https://www.ice‑memory.org