The Wall Street Journal gave me a quick assignment in March to document the arrival of three trucks carrying ice core samples to the National Ice Core Laboratory in Lakewood, Colorado.  The ice cores were drilled in Antarctica, transported to port in California by boat, and shipped in refrigerator trucks directly to the facility.  Once at the lab, they are processed and distributed to laboratories that have received grants from the National Science Foundation. Because the cores trap greenhouse gas and ash samples, climate scientists can extract data about the Earth’s climate from upwards of 400,000 years ago. Samples are packed in silver tubes, placed in insulated boxes, and shipped from the ice caps in refrigerated cargo containers; the storage space is kept at -36 degrees Farenheit.

The assignment was the final installment for the larger story that follows the ice from the moment it is drilled through to its ultimate storage and distribution.  The full text is available online, here.

The Wall Street Journal gave me a quick assignment in March to document the arrival of three trucks carrying ice core samples to the National Ice Core Laboratory in Lakewood, Colorado.  The ice cores were drilled in Antarctica, transported to port in California by boat, and shipped in refrigerator trucks directly to the facility. ...