paleoclimate Archives - State of the Planet

Science and Heritage: The Ice Memory Foundation’s Mission for the Planet

As climate change threatens an uncertain future, an international foundation is collecting and saving stories from the past in an unusual format: ice cores from disappearing glaciers that act as archives for both data and memories.

by Olivia Black |October 10, 2023
The research team in Madagscar presenting their archeological research.

Cataloging the Past for Clues to Future Climate Adaptation

A Q&A with archaeologist and anthropologist Kristina Douglass, who studies the evolving relationships between people and the environment.

by |February 7, 2023

At 90, Still Studying Ancient Pollen

Lamont’s Linda Heusser turned 90 years old on April 12, and the only birthday present she really wanted was another sediment core to study.

by |April 15, 2022

Tackling a 40 Million-Year-Old Conundrum

A new study bolsters the idea that the uplifts of the Himalayas and Andes that began tens of millions years ago helped trigger the many ice ages that followed.

by Shilei Li, Steven L. Goldstein and Maureen E. Raymo |October 24, 2021

During the Last Ice Age, the Tropics Were Colder Than We Thought. Bad News for Us.

Gases collected from ancient groundwater provide a compelling portrait of how much past temperatures have swung back and forth.

by |May 12, 2021

Scientists Have Discovered an Ancient Lake Bed Deep Beneath the Greenland Ice

Using radar and other techniques, researchers have mapped out the sediments left by a lake that apparently existed before Greenland was glaciated. Next step: drilling through the ice to see what they contain.

by |November 10, 2020

Data on Past Climates Key to Predicting Future, Scientists Say

An international team suggests that research centers around the world using numerical models to predict future climate change should include simulations of past climates.

by |November 5, 2020
rosanne d'arrigo

Rosanne D’Arrigo: Decoding The History of Climate Cycles, One Tree Ring At A Time

A simple fascination with winter and weather patterns led D’Arrigo to become a globe-trotting scientist who collects and analyzes important data from tree rings.

by |June 11, 2020

Kevin Uno: Examining How Early Humans Responded to Climate Change

Kevin Uno, a Center for Climate and Life Fellow, studies how abrupt changes in climate affected Neolithic human settlement, diet, and abandonment in northwest Africa.

by |April 9, 2020
selfie on top of drill derrick

How a Drilling Ship Pulls Cores From 2.5 Miles Below the Sea

Recovering ancient seafloor sediments requires complicated machinery and a skilled crew.

by |July 19, 2019