Name: Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice
Uploaded: 2010-09-13T08:26:00Z
Duration: 17 min 57 s
Description: Rob Dunbar hunts for data on our climate from 12,000 years ago, finding clues inside ancient seabeds and corals and inside ice sheets. His work is vital in setting baselines for fixing our current climate -- and in tracking the rise of deadly ocean acidification.

Rob Dunbar hunts for data on our climate from 12,000 years ago, finding clues inside ancient seabeds and corals and inside ice sheets. His work is vital in setting baselines for fixing our current climate -- and in tracking the rise of deadly ocean acidification.

Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice

Earth’s climate history is locked in ancient corals, sediments, and ice, revealing how oceans have shifted over millions of years. Recent drilling in Antarctica shows that giant ice sheets have melted and reformed dozens of times, with just small temperature increases triggering dramatic sea level rise. Today, ocean acidification is accelerating as a third of human-generated CO2 dissolves into the sea, threatening marine life that has never faced such rapid chemical change. Understanding these intertwined forces is key to setting meaningful climate targets and protecting global biodiversity.