The analysis of the ice obtained by coring allows to reconstruct the variations of the temperature and the chemical composition of theatmosphere in the past, and that until approximately 400,000 years ago!
Polar ice contains extremely useful information about weather conditions very different from those we know today.
Calving from the Helheim Glacier in south-eastern Greenland is aesthetically fascinating, as shown in this video. But it is worrying from a climatic point of view. © DR
The secrets of the climate buried in the heart of the ice
Polar ice records valuable information, it is an extremely pure material that retains air fossil, a unique way to directly access the atmospheres of the past. However, dating the ice is very delicate.
The analysis of ice obtained by coring makes it possible to understand the modification of the concentration of greenhouse gas and to better understand the current climate changes. The contribution of this scientific discipline has proved to be decisive for the understanding of Earth’s climate and its evolution under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors.
In this dossier, we penetrate the heart of the polar ice and discover the glacial archives of the weather and our environment.
See also on Futura:
.
fs12