What did scientists learn from the Greenland ice cores?

Ice cores can tell scientists about temperature, precipitation, atmospheric composition, volcanic activity, and even wind patterns. The thickness of each layer allows scientists to determine how much snow fell in the area during a particular year.

Where do scientists collect ice cores?

Researchers drill ice cores from deep (sometimes more than a mile, or more than 1.6 kilometers) inside the polar ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, as well as some high-latitude ice caps and mountain glaciers.

How far back do Greenland ice cores go?

The oldest continuous ice core records extend to 130,000 years in Greenland, and 800,000 years in Antarctica.

What has happened to ice in Greenland and Antarctica since 2002?

The Greenland ice sheet’s mass has rapidly declined in the last several years due to surface melting and iceberg calving. Research based on satellite data indicates that between 2002 and 2020, Greenland shed an average of 279 billion metric tons of ice per year, adding to global sea level rise.

How do scientists measure climate change at the polar ice caps?

Scientists have drilled 3200 metres into the ice to sample air from ancient times. They’ve tested the air in the bubbles to see how much of each gas (eg oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen) it contains. Carbon dioxide levels have gone up and down in cycles of about 100 000 years.

Who are the scientist experts who study the ice cores to learn about the history of Antarctica?

Glaciologist Claude Lorius looked 420,000 years into the past and, like an oracle, predicted our future. During his 60-year career, he explored the Antarctic continent, collecting ice cores that would tell the tale of Earth’s climate history.

How can scientists quantify the mass of ice loss in Greenland?

Firstly, by measuring changes in the height of the surface of the ice sheet through time we can estimate the volume of ice lost or gained. Second, by measuring the change in the gravitational pull of the ice sheet we can get a direct estimate of the change in the mass of the ice with a technique called gravimetry.

How does Greenland lose ice?

Using data from two ground-observing satellites, ICESAT and ASTER, a study published in Geophysical Research Letters (September 2008) shows that nearly 75 percent of the loss of Greenland’s ice can be traced back to small coastal glaciers.

How are ice cores obtained?

Ice cores are collected by cutting around a cylinder of ice in a way that enables it to be brought to the surface. Early cores were often collected with hand augers and they are still used for short holes.