Hidden among the trees of New York's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is one of the world's most extraordinary scientific archives: more than 40 miles of ocean sediment cores preserving millions of years of Earth's climate history. As a former field geologist, I was used to reading rocks in the field—but touring this remarkable repository through my PolarSTEAM fellowship revealed an entirely different way scientists uncover our planet's past. Join me behind the scenes as I follow a 50-year-old Arctic sediment core from storage to microscope and discover how tiny microfossils are helping researchers reconstruct Earth's changing climate.
Arctic sea ice and freshwater in the East Greenland Current during the Deglacial
The oceans transport heat and moisture from the equator to the poles; this is governed by the temperature and salinity of the water masses that drive ocean circulation. The input of freshwater from melting glaciers and sea ice in the Arctic, that is increasing because of climate change, is contributing to weakening ocean circulation. Examining previous periods of climatic change, that occurred before human measurements began, can help us understand how our oceans may respond to climate change in the future. This project focuses on the Younger Dryas, an abrupt cool period that occurred 11.7-12.9 thousand years ago; it has long captured the attention of climate scientists, who have tried to understand its cause and global reach. Using marine sediment cores, we aim to test whether sea ice and freshwater export from the Arctic played a role in slowing ocean circulation at this time, triggering this dramatic cooling.
Participants Involved in This Project
Stephanie Erickson | Educator Fellow: 2026-2027
Wilton Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle High School | Wilton, NH
Joanna Davies | Researcher Fellow
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University | New York City, NY
From the Blog
Made possible with funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award #2221990. The information contained here is those of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.
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