Secrets of Ararat: Glaciers will tell the story of civilizations

A German-Turkish expedition has begun studying the glaciers on Mount Ararat, which are rapidly melting due to climate change. Scientists view the ice cap of the dormant volcano as a giant time capsule, capable of revealing the region's climatic changes over millennia. In July 2026, the team ascended to an altitude of over 5,000 meters to collect samples and conduct scans. Analysis of air bubbles and dust particles trapped in the ice will help reconstruct the composition of the ancient atmosphere and the history of volcanic activity. The search for Noah's Ark is not part of the expedition's objectives.

A German-Turkish expedition has launched a large-scale study of the glaciers on Mount Ararat, which are rapidly melting due to global climate change. The dormant volcano, standing 5,137 meters tall on the border of Turkey and Armenia, is regarded by scientists as a giant time capsule preserving climatic records over millennia. In July 2026, the scientific team ascended to an altitude of over five thousand meters to collect initial samples and conduct comprehensive scanning using ground-penetrating radar and seismic measurements. The primary goal is to locate areas with the oldest ice layers for future core drilling. Microscopic dust particles, volcanic ash, and ancient air bubbles trapped in the ice represent an invaluable source of information about Earth's past. Analysis of these elements will help reconstruct the composition of the atmosphere, trace the history of volcanic activity, and document global climate shifts, including the Roman Warm Period and the cooling period of the 6th–7th centuries. Ararat's geographical position at the crossroads of Mesopotamia, the Caucasus, and Anatolia makes it a key site for understanding the development of ancient civilizations and early metallurgy. Scientists emphasize that the search for Noah's Ark is not part of the expedition's objectives.