©B Delapierre / IceMemory
In a groundbreaking achievement for climate science, the first deep ice cores have been successfully extracted from the Kon Chukurbaschi ice cap in the Pamirs. The Ice Memory Foundation, with the Swiss Polar Institute, a major sponsor of the PAMIR Project, celebrated this success at a press conference in Dushanbe highlighting the expedition's scientific and environmental impact.
After a three-week expedition at 5 800 metres above sea level, the Pamir Project team successfully extracted the first two deep ice cores ever drilled from the Kon Chukurbashi ice cap. The Kon Chukurbaschi ice cap was one of the last major high-altitude regions on Earth where no deep ice core had previously been collected. These cores will provide critical insights into climate change and its impact on one of the world’s most important high-altitude water towers.
During a highly symbolic ceremony, Tajikistan officially handed over one ice core to the PAMIR Consortium for collaborative scientific analysis and another to the Ice Memory Foundation for long-term preservation in the Ice Memory Sanctuary in Antarctica. The handover of the two first deep ice cores represents a lasting legacy for future generations, ensuring that the climatic and environmental record of the Pamirs is safeguarded for centuries to come. This milestone not only advances scientific understanding but also ensures that the Pamirs’ climatic history is preserved for generations to come.
The expedition was conducted by a team of fifteen researchers from Japan, Switzerland and Tajikistan under the leadership of the University of Fribourg, with funding from the Swiss Polar Institute and the Ice Memory Foundation. The press conference featured key speakers, such as representatives of the Government of Tajikistan and representatives from the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan; Evan Miles, the expedition leader from Fribourg University; Thomas F. Stocker from the Ice Memory Foundation and other experts from the Center for Research of Glaciers of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan.
This major achievement aligns with the goals of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP), which emphasizes advancing scientific research and safeguarding the world’s cryospheric heritage.
Held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 13 October, the gathering also acted as a platform to discuss the future of glaciers and celebrate the groundbreaking Pamir expedition.
