National Ice Core Laboratory

The National Ice Core Laboratory (NICL) is a place where scientists study ice. Ice tells us a lot about our world, since the things inside it (like dust and chemicals) can give us information about past climates, ecosystems, and even what the Earth looked like a long time ago. At the NICL, scientists drill very deep holes in the ground and then pull out long tubes of ice called “cores” which they look at under microscopes to study the particles and chemicals inside. By looking at what these cores contain, they can track changes in the Earth’s climate over time, which can help us to better understand the world today.