Matthias Rueth, president and founder of Tradium, talks with AFP inside the storage room of Tradium, a company specialised in trading rare earths, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on November 4, 2025. Tradium keeps thousands of barrels of the precious materials -- almost all from China, the world's biggest producer. The materials in the bunker, such as dysprosium, terbium and neodymium, are essential for the manufacture of crucial modern technology including smartphones, electric cars and wind turbines. Tradium, which employs fewer than 40 people, expects to reach a turnover of 300 million euros ($346 million) this year. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP presents a reportage of 41 images by photographer Prakash Mathema from September 8 to 26, 2025 of scientists drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory in Kon Chukurbashi, eastern Tajikistan. Search all these reportage images using: TAJIKISTAN-SCIENCE-GLACIER-ICE-CLIMATE Search "REPORTAGE" to source all feature, magazine and photo essays. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia's Ivan Lavrentiev and Tajikistan's Jahongir Abdullov, members of the expedition "Pamir-Ice-Memory" climb up at the base of Pamir Glacier in Kon Chukurbashi, eastern Tajikistan on September 24, 2025. At more than 5,800 meters above sea level, an international team of scientists is drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory before global warming erases it forever. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

This photograph shows the valley of Pamir Glacier, on the Tajik side, during the expedition "Pamir-Ice-Memory", in Kon Chukurbashi, eastern Tajikistan on September 24, 2025. At more than 5,800 meters above sea level, an international team of scientists is drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory before global warming erases it forever. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Switzerland's Glaciologist Andreas Henz climbs down the Pamir Glacier during the expedition "Pamir-Ice-Memory", in Kon Chukurbashi, eastern Tajikistan on September 24, 2025. At more than 5,800 meters above sea level, an international team of scientists is drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory before global warming erases it forever. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

This phohtograph shows the village of Karakul down the Pamir Glacier during the expedition "Pamir-Ice-Memory", in Kon Chukurbashi, eastern Tajikistan on September 17, 2025. At more than 5,800 meters above sea level, an international team of scientists is drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory before global warming erases it forever. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

Chief of Expedition Evan Miles of "Pamir-Ice-Memory" expedition addresses a briefing before reaching the Pamir Glacier, in Dushanbe, eastern Tajikistan on September 8, 2025. At more than 5,800 meters above sea level, an international team of scientists is drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory before global warming erases it forever. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)

This picture shows the valley of Pamir Glacier, on the Tajik side, during the expedition "Pamir-Ice-Memory", in Kon Chukurbashi, eastern Tajikistan on September 24, 2025. At more than 5,800 meters above sea level, an international team of scientists is drilling deep into the Pamir glaciers of Tajikistan to extract the region's first-ever deep ice cores to preserve the Earth's climatic memory before global warming erases it forever. (Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP) (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP via Getty Images)