‘We were not expecting this’
Research scientists who developed a climate record by studying aging layers of Antarctic ice have discovered that the deepest ice layer in the South Pole Basin contains trace amounts of sediment, according to the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics (via Phys.org).
Scientists believe that the presence of sediment is due to ice gradually moving down from a mountain range beneath the glaciers and collecting sediment that accumulates in the basin.
“We didn’t expect this,” said Duncan Young, a research scientist at the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics. “We think that as the ice melted, the basal unit transported small amounts of material from the mountain ranges, leaving sediment behind.”
He also explained that this was a gradual process that probably took place over 14-30 million years.
What’s going on?
Researchers are working climate change Through the analysis of ice cores excavated over many years from the Antarctic ice sheet. The chemicals and air bubbles contained in ice traps provide information about how the planet’s climate has changed over time.
Similar to the rings of a tree showing growth patterns over time, ice freezes in chronological order.
In places where the ground is rich in sediment, geothermal heat is higher, so the ice layer melts at the bottom and lakes form. These findings aid researchers in their quest to find sites with the oldest permanent ice that can predate the oldest extant sample, which is estimated to be 800,000 years old.
The further back ice can be dated, the more scientists can learn about how climate has changed over time and how we can slow the warming of the planet through our current actions.
Why is it important to study glaciers?
Glacier melting has a significant impact on the environment. Rising sea levels pose risks to communities living along the coast.
From home damage and complete destruction to declining property values and lack of access to affordable homeowners insurance, rising sea levels are bad news for homeowners. They can also cause salt water to flow into rivers and affect fresh water. ecology.
What is being done about new information?
Research continues in the hope that by studying the past we can create a better future. Young explained that “understanding how heat flow changes at the base of the ice sheet and what the temperature is there is critical to finding places where the oldest continuous ice may be preserved.”
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