Ice Core Freezer Malfunction

A malfunction of a freezer unit at the University of Alberta’s Canadian Ice Core Archive has resulted in warming and damage to part of the collection.

We can confirm that 12.8 per cent of the ice core samples were damaged due to partial melting. The loss of any ice core sample is deeply disappointing to the University of Alberta and to our research teams, who plan to use this ice to answer important questions about climate change and our planet’s history.

With the assistance of our service provider, the affected freezer has been restored, an investigation is ongoing, and we are working to ensure this does not happen again. All ice core samples from the collection are being stored in a freezer unit that was unaffected by the malfunction.

We will have more information to share later this afternoon.

Andrew Sharman
Vice-President (Facilities and Operations)