Ancient ice cores from Tibetan plateau extend glacial record by 100000 years
Researchers in northwestern Tibet recovered ice cores that preserve fragments of the last ice age and extend Earth's glacial record.
Ice samples show consistent patterns
Scientists compared ice drilled from the Guliya Plateau in 1992 and 2015. Both samples contained similar oxygen isotope patterns that suggest environmental signals are reproducible within this specific ice cap.
Dating methods reveal ancient timeline
The team used radioactive traces of beryllium and chlorine to measure the true age of the frozen water. These elements helped identify the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion which occurred more than 41000 years ago.
Study extends regional record
The new findings make these samples the oldest ice cores ever recovered from this region of Tibet. The analysis confirms that the glacier endured through the last ice age without significant interruption.
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