Six to 10 million years ago: Ice-free summers at the North Pole
An international team of scientists led by the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) have managed to open a new window into the climate history of the Arctic Ocean. Using unique sediment samples from the Lomonosov Ridge, the researchers found that six to ten million years ago the central Arctic was completely ice-free during summer and sea-surface temperature reached values of 4 to 9 degrees Celsius.
North Atlantic played pivotal role in last great climate tipping point
North Atlantic played pivotal role in last great climate tipping point, research shows.
Ice Age Antarctic Ocean gives clue to ‘missing’ atmospheric carbon dioxide
Climate is not constant on Earth. Consider ice ages coming and going as an example. Parallel to ice age cycles, atmospheric carbon dioxide reduces during glacial periods and increases during warmer times, although modern fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide emission broke this natural cyclicity. With the proper proxy measurements, scientists can look into these past cycles to determine how exactly climate systems were naturally governed.
Increase in volcanic eruptions at the end of the ice age caused by melting ice caps and glacial erosion
The combination of erosion and melting ice caps led to a massive increase in volcanic activity at the end of the last ice age, according to new research.
Fossil fuel emissions could soon make it impossible for radiocarbon dating artefacts that are hundreds of years old
Carbon released by burning fossil fuels is diluting radioactive carbon-14 and artificially raising the radiocarbon 'age' of the atmosphere.
UA scientists find evidence of Roman period megadrought
A multi-decade drought that occurred in the 2nd century has been revealed by researchers from the University of Arizona by studying tree-rings (dendrochronology).
Unravelling causes of Ice Age extinctions
What caused the extinction of Ice Age megafauna? Was climate change responsible or human activity that caused the woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros to go extinct?
