How
Do Ice Cores of Glaciers Tell Us about Past Climates?
ES2105
Dust
Data from the Vostok Ice Core
Glacial ice cores also provide a record of the amount
of dust in the atmosphere, because dust is trapped in
layers of ice after it settles on the surface. Higher
quantities of dust, called dust fluxes, are associated
with major glacial periods when parts of the world tended
to be very dry and windy. Atmospheric dust results from
a specific set of climate conditions, so it is not considered
a cause of climate change. This is different from the
cause-and-effect relationship that appears to exist
between the atmospheric CO2 and temperature.
! Move your cursor over the graph to highlight the
period between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago.
Jouzel et al, 1987
and Petit et al, 1990
Average temperatures
and dust amounts from Vostok, Antarctica ice cores.
10. For the period from 10,000 to
30,000 years ago, describe the apparent relationship
between temperature and the amount of dust in the atmosphere.
! Move your cursor over the graph
to highlight the period between 50,000 and 70,000 years
ago.
11. Do data for the time period
of 50,000 to 70,000 years ago support or refute the
relationship you stated in question 10? Explain how.
