Articles tagged with Ice Core Records
New research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that volcanic eruptions during the Ice Age may have disrupted the AMOC, threatening Denmark's climate. The study shows that extreme volcanic eruptions can throw the climate system out of balance and push the AMOC into a weakened or collapsed state.
Scientists will study moisture-driven mechanisms of ice sheet growth during the Miocene Climatic Optimum, a warmer climate period. The team aims to understand how increased moisture transport affects ice accumulation and mitigate sea level rise.
Researchers have discovered the oldest directly dated ice and air on the planet, providing an unprecedented view of Earth's past climate. The 6-million-year-old ice cores reveal a gradual cooling trend of about 12 degrees Celsius over the last 6 million years.
Researchers found that northerly winds exacerbate ice loss in Antarctica by capping off polynyas, reducing ocean heat loss. This mechanism could be connected to human-induced climate change and potentially mitigated by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A new Antarctic research project is using citizen science to study environmental changes over the last 70 years by matching modern satellite images with historical air photos. The project aims to create a high-quality dataset for future scientific investigations of Antarctic landscape change.
A 40-meter long ice core from Mont Blanc's Dôme du Goûter holds clues to 12,000 years of human and environmental history. The record provides insights into Europe's past climate, including a temperature difference of about 3 degrees Celsius between the last Ice Age and the current Holocene Epoch.
A new study compares tropical mountain ice cores to climate model simulations, revealing discrepancies in Earth's average temperature trends. Researchers found that ice core data and computer models match for polar regions like Greenland and Antarctica, but not for tropical mountains.
Researchers at ETH Zurich discovered tiny ice quakes deep inside ice streams, explaining the discrepancy between simulations and satellite measurements. The findings impact sea-level rise estimates and may reveal fault planes in ice cores, providing a better understanding of ice stream deformation.
Researchers have precisely dated the devastating Laacher See volcano eruption in Central Europe, which did not cause a sudden-onset cold period 13,000 years ago. The study used speleothem and ice core data to estimate the climatic impact of the eruption.
Scientists studied ancient whitebark pine forest on Beartooth Plateau, finding the tree line was 600 feet higher during a moderate climate period. The discovery sheds light on how dynamic ecosystems respond to temperature warming and offers insights into future changes for alpine environments.
A new study suggests that increased wildfire activity was a feature of past periods of abrupt climate change, which also saw significant shifts in tropical rainfall patterns and temperature fluctuations. The research analyzed ancient methane trapped in Antarctic ice and found that the spikes were likely caused by global wildfires.
Researchers at University of Arizona discovered a spike in carbon-14 dating to 664 B.C., pinpointing the last known extreme solar storm event. The study provides crucial data for scientists studying sun's activity and offers insights into massive storms' effects on Earth's atmosphere.
Research from multiple ice cores in Greenland provides new understanding of Dansgaard-Oeschger events, which represent 'tipping points' in Earth's climate. The findings suggest interactions between the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and wintertime sea ice play a key role in these events.
Researchers at York University have developed a novel technique to measure gaseous fluorine, revealing that up to 99% of airborne PFAS are unaccounted for. This discovery highlights the need for further research into the sources and environmental implications of PFAS, which can contribute to climate change.
A Dartmouth-led study found that air pollution from fossil fuels reaches the remote Arctic, altering its fundamental atmospheric chemistry. The researchers detected declines in methanesulfonic acid, a biomarker linked to phytoplankton productivity, which plummeted in environments high in emissions.
The 'Our Way Model' reveals four phases of human dispersal, including a slow expansion from the Levant to western Europe and rapid advancements into previously unsettled areas. Climate change significantly impacted human dispersal, with periods of severe cold and warming influencing population growth and decline.
A research team deployed an unmanned submersible to map the underside of a floating ice shelf in Antarctica, revealing high melt rates and unique patterns. The findings raise questions about current models for predicting sea level rise.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that the Cerrado biome in Brazil is experiencing its worst drought in at least 700 years, caused by global warming. The research used chemical analysis of stalagmites to extend the perception of drought back seven centuries and linked it to disruption in the hydrological cycle.
A team of researchers found that the current rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years. The study provides new insight into abrupt climate change periods and potential impacts of climate change today.
Researchers found that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet thinned by 450 meters in just under 200 years at the end of the Last Ice Age. The study sheds light on how quickly Antarctic ice could melt if temperatures continue to soar.
A new study used pollen analysis to track forest changes in eastern Canada spanning 850 years, from the Medieval Warm Period to extensive logging by European settlers. The research provides a precise chronology of forest composition and helps establish baselines for evaluating changes in forest cover as the global climate warms.
A newly published study provides a high-resolution climatic record for ancient Italy, revealing phases of climatic instability that overlap with periods of social and political crisis. The marine core record also shows a strong association between episodes of rapid climate change and epidemics of infectious disease.
Scientists at Ohio State University discovered that tropical ice cores can provide accurate measurements of surface global mean temperature. The study found that the temperature in the middle and upper troposphere cooled by 7.35 degrees Celsius during the Earth's glacial period, shedding light on new theories about climate dynamics.
Researchers have reconstructed a global history of water over the past 2,000 years, showing that the global water cycle has changed during periods of higher and lower temperatures. The study found that when global temperature is higher, rain and other environmental waters become more isotopically heavy.
A new laser-based sampling system allows for higher depth resolution, enabling scientists to reconstruct continuous annual temperature changes thousands of years ago. The LMS system overcomes previous limitations in sampling ice cores, preserving critical oxygen and hydrogen isotopes needed to infer past temperatures.
A new study enhances radiocarbon dating by creating a precise record of atmospheric shifts over 14,000 calendar years BP. This improvement allows for more accurate dating of sub-fossil samples, enabling researchers to reconstruct past environmental and climate changes during glacial times.
A new study reveals that large portions of Greenland were ice-free tundra landscapes with trees and woolly mammoths 416,000 years ago. The melting caused at least five feet of sea level rise during a moderate warming period.
A new study reveals that mercury levels in the Arctic tripled at the beginning of the Holocene, with sea ice reduction being the main cause. Climate warming has led to a decrease in perennial sea ice, allowing for increased mercury transfer and deposition in the Arctic environment.
A new study from Oregon State University found that massive iceberg discharges during the last ice age triggered rapid warming in Antarctica but had no effect on temperatures in Greenland. This discovery challenges current understanding of global climate dynamics and raises more questions than answers.
An international team of researchers analyzed medieval texts and ice core data to date some of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. They found that five lunar eclipses occurred within a year or so of major volcanic eruptions, providing new information about the most volcanically active period in Earth's history.
Researchers at the University of Bern and Empa have developed a new technique to measure greenhouse gases in ancient ice cores, enabling more accurate climate records. The method allows for high-resolution analysis of the oldest ice, which contains 15,000 to 20,000 years of climate history compressed into one meter.
A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters reveals that even dormant volcanoes release a surprisingly high amount of sulfur into the Arctic atmosphere. This finding has significant implications for understanding Earth's atmosphere and its relationship with climate and air quality.
Dimethyl sulfide levels have increased in Arctic air over the past five decades, according to a study led by Hokkaido University. The team tracked the rise in emissions through measurements of methane sulfonic acid in Greenland ice cores, finding higher levels between 2002 and 2014.
The years 2001 to 2011 were the warmest in the last thousand years, with temperatures 1.5 °C higher than in the 20th century at high elevations of the Greenland Ice Sheet. This warming is surprisingly pronounced and decoupled from the rest of the Arctic.
Researchers have uncovered the most detailed look yet at Earth's recent climatic history by analyzing Antarctic ice cores. The study provides a record of summer and winter temperatures dating back 11,000 years, offering an important baseline for understanding climate change.
A team of 15 researchers will drill through ice cores 2.7 km deep, revealing temperature and greenhouse gas data from the past. The project aims to solve the mystery of climate periodicity during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.
A new study documents past changes in Earth's climate system by analyzing dust composition in samples collected from different areas and depths of the same glacier. The findings suggest that a complete dust record could offer more secrets than scientists realize, hinting at potential long-term perspectives on the Central Asian dust cycle.
Researchers extracted oxygen isotopes to study recent climate changes in the Third Pole region. The analysis revealed dramatic shifts in climate over the past 12,000 years, likely driven by population growth and agricultural development.
Researchers have extracted a detailed record of 700,000 years of tropical climate change from an Andean lakebed, shedding light on the past 160,000 years. The discovery reveals that glaciers in the tropics followed a roughly 100,000-year cycle, with periods of wetness and dryness affecting global temperatures.
A new study reveals that climate change is affecting Andean glaciers in sync with polar ice, suggesting the entire planet is connected. Researchers used sediment deposits from Lake Junín to create a record of glacial changes spanning 700,000 years.
A team of researchers has confirmed that a volcanic eruption in 1628 B.C. was not Thera but Alaskan volcano Aniakchak II, helping to narrow down the potential dates for the Thera eruption's occurrence between 1611 B.C., 1562-1555 B.C. and 1538 B.C.
Researchers found that Dansgaard-Oeschger events, which occurred throughout the last ice age, were likely caused by atmospheric CO2 levels between 190-225 ppm. The study combines ice-core data with climate models to propose a new theory for these abrupt climate changes.
Researchers estimate 60,000-year timeline of massive volcanic eruptions, finding 85 large global eruptions and 69 larger than the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption. This new data helps improve climate models by providing insights into Earth's climate sensitivity.
A recent Ohio University study provides the first complete estimate of total Antarctic sea ice extent back through the 20th century, revealing unique changes in climate patterns. The research shows a regime shift with increases in sea ice since 1979 and sudden declines throughout the early and middle 20th century.
A recent study analyzing air bubbles preserved in Antarctic ice for up to 1.5 million years suggests that glacial erosion is likely responsible for the decline of atmospheric oxygen levels over the past 800,000 years.
Researchers aim to extract a 1.5 million-year-old ice core, revealing information on temperature and greenhouse gas concentrations in the past atmosphere. The project will help scientists understand the evolution of climate and develop strategies for mitigating current changes.
Climate scientists have identified abrupt transitions in ice core records using a new statistical method. The method analyzes the ratio of two oxygen isotopes to determine whether changes are due to noise or significant climactic shifts.
A new study analyzing microfossils in European glaciers reveals earlier-than-expected evidence of air pollution and the roots of modern invasive species problems. The analysis provides non-stop context for major historical events like droughts or famines, helping scientists better understand current climate change.
Researchers studied ozone depletion's impact on iodine concentrations in Antarctic ice cores, revealing a sharp reduction from 1975 to 2012. The decrease can be attributed to stratospheric ozone concentration loss, leading to increased UV radiation and altered geochemical cycles.
A new study reveals that early human activities, specifically Māori burning practices in New Zealand over 700 years ago, impacted the Earth's atmosphere more than previously known. The increase in black carbon levels in Antarctic ice cores supports this conclusion.
Researchers analyzed an ice core from Greenland and found that fires in the North Atlantic region decreased over 4,500 years ago due to weaker summer insolation and expanding glaciers. Human interference, such as Viking colonization, also played a role in reducing fire frequency.
Researchers analyzed ice core data from Greenland to understand the relationship between sulfur dioxide emissions and sulfate aerosols. They found that sulfate levels have declined more slowly than sulfur dioxide emissions, especially in wintertime, due to a reaction that partially mitigates reductions.
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen gathered data from the Renland Ice Cap, combining airborne radar, on-site measurements, and satellite data to create a more accurate model. This study now allows for greater precision in projecting local climate conditions for smaller ice caps and glaciers around the world.
Scientists have found consistent evidence that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation has weakened unprecedentedly in over 1000 years. The slowdown is linked to human-caused global warming, which disrupts the deep convection mechanism driving the ocean current.
Researchers analyzed isotopic properties of speleothem samples worldwide to understand the Younger Dryas event's mechanisms. The event began at high northern latitudes before spreading globally, but reversed course in Antarctica, taking on La Niña-like characteristics.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new method to map glacier advancement in cold periods and melting in warmer periods using ice core data. This technique helps improve climate models by linking dust particle composition to ice layer distribution, revealing information on how quickly glaciers recede.
A new study links sea ice loss in the Arctic to major climate events, including rapid warming of 16 degrees Celsius in Greenland. The research, published in PNAS, used ice cores and numerical model simulations to determine that sea ice changes played a critical role in past abrupt climate change events.
A WVU geographer and her team will study the movement of a westerly wind belt circling Antarctica that influences Southern Hemisphere climate, carbon, and heat uptake. The project utilizes data from tree rings in Tasmania and ice cores from Antarctica to reconstruct the history of this wind belt over the last 2,000 years.
Researchers use information theory to identify complex anomalies in high-resolution ice core data, allowing for more accurate analysis of climate records. The technique enables the detection of small anomalies that could indicate significant climate events or errors in data processing.
Dr. Johannes Fürst's new map provides a reliable estimate of the total ice volume in Svalbard, which is approximately one-third smaller than previously thought. The map also offers an associated error estimate, allowing researchers to calculate the uncertainty of glacier thickness measurements.