doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf186
Credibility: 989
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Scientists have discovered an ice core in European Alps that holds information about the climate of the last 12,000 years since the last Ice Age
This is the first ice core in the region to be dated so accurately, offering valuable data on the environment throughout history.
The research was led by scientists at the France’s National Scientific Research Center and the Desert Research Institute (DRI) ice centers laboratory in Nevada, United States.
They analyzed a 40 -meter ice tube, removed in 1999 from Dôme Du Goûter, a mountain in the Mont Blanc mountain range between France and Italy.
“This is the first time we have such a complete record of the climate of the Alps, with data on the chemistry of the atmosphere and the rains that go back to the mesolithic period,” explains Joe McConnell, DRI hydrologist.
“This is very important because the ice core covers two distinct climate moments: the ice age and the hottest period that came later.
These data show the most extreme natural conditions we can expect.”
Why is this ice core special?
The location of the core is crucial.
Unlike samples collected in remote regions, such as Arctic, Alps’ ice reflects the environment of an area where the human population has grown over time.
It contains dust particles, sea salt, sulfur, soot and other elements that help you understand what the climate was like at different times.
This core from the time of hunter-gatherers, when people lived scattered to the expansion of agriculture and the domestication of animals.
What has the ice revealed?
The ice core has already brought important discoveries.
During the last era of ice, summers in the Alps were 3.5 ° C cooler than today, and in general western Europe was 2 ° C colder.
In addition, by analyzing phosphorus levels (released by plants), scientists have managed to map changes in vegetation over these 12,000 years.
Forests spread more in periods of hot climate and diminished in times of deforestation and human development.
“It’s exciting to find an Ice Core of the Alps with an intact climate record, ranging from the hot period of the last 10,000 years to the very different climate of the Ice Age,” says Grenoble Alps University Geoscientist Susanne Preunkert in France.
How was the ice age determined?
The ice core, which has been kept for 25 years, has only been analyzed with modern techniques, such as the measurement of carbon isotopes and argon, which help determine the age of the material.
Researchers are also studying sea salt levels on ice to understand changes in wind patterns over time and create more accurate climate models that connect sea salt, cloud patterns and solar radiation.
Why does that matter?
“To understand the climate of the past and predict the future, we need models that capture the true variability of the climate,” explains McConnell.
“And to know if these models are good, we need to compare them with real observations.
That’s where ice nuclei make a difference.”
This discovery helps scientists better understand how the weather has changed over thousands of years and can improve climate predictions in the future, especially in regions such as Europe, which already face significant climate change.
Published in 07/31/2025 03h19
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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