Core of climate history

Lou and the Ice Core Drill

Scientists take ice core samples in cold, windy, and forbidding environments. After drilling through solid ice to retrieve a core, initial measurements are taken before it is sent away for more in-depth analysis and storage. Photo credit: NSIDC courtesy Ted Scambos and Rob Bauer

People have asked how scientists know that today’s climate situation is unusual. Hasn’t the Earth undergone many cold and warm cycles before? Could this just be another? Buried in the world’s ice sheets is a long story of climate on Earth–and the contribution of atmospheric CO2 to warming or cooling. Scientists can access a unique and detailed look at the history of the Earth’s atmosphere through ice cores and start to understand the recent climate in context of past ones. Continue reading