question. has the arctic reached a tipping point? engineer zoe korville has explained its isolation is its greatest asset. it s a pristine of climate change specifically. we ve been making measurements since 1980 here. we ve also drilled to bedrock. so we have 140,000 years? yes, we re standing on two miles of ice below us. and you can use ice core as tree rings to get an idea of what it was like. but summit s hefty price tag has made it a pro po sal for
two-hour flight from the nearest airport of kanger lusuak, it lands on a runway of snow using giant skis. all equipment and personnel have to be flown in at great expense. it doesn t get much more remote than this. and with the high altitude, the science that is being done here at summit station requires enormous resources and sheer physical effort. but this place is uniquely positioned to answer a crucial question. has the arctic reached a tipping point? engineer zoe korville explains that its isolation is, in fact, its greatest asset. it s a very pristine site. and it s free from local influences of pollution. reporter: do you think summit is important to the study of climate change, specifically? we ve been making measurements since 1980 here, but we ve also drilled to
expense. it doesn t get much more remote than this. and with the high altitude, the science that is being done here at summit station requires enormous resources and sheer physical effort. but this place is uniquely positioned to answer a crucial question. has the arctic reached a tipping point? engineer zoe korville explains that its isolation is, in fact, its greatest asset. it s a very pristine site. and it s free from local influences of pollution. reporter: do you think summit is important to the study of climate change, specifically? we ve been making measurements since 1980 here, but we ve also drilled to bedrock. so we have an ice core that extends back 140,000 years 140,000 years? yes. 140,000 so we re actually standing on two miles worth of ice below us.