Winds carry dust, salts, smoke, and metal particles directly to the peak, where falling snow buries them layer by layer over centuries. Measurements show the drilling site lost nearly 15 feet of ice thickness between 2019 and 2025, dropping from 33 feet deep to roughly 18 feet. A companion study estimated that the entire summit glacier could vanish within 10 to 20 years if recent average ice losses continue.When the glacier ice melts, scientists lose far more than frozen water. For collecting deep, pristine ice cores, sometimes up to three kilometres long, scientists use electro-mechanical drills. Smaller thermal core drills use electrical heat to melt around ice samples, while lightweight hand augers and portable power drills allow field researchers to easily extract shallow snow and ice samples near the surface.