Image of the Month

Core Values

Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have developed a new way to measure the average temperature of the world’s oceans over geological time. The scientists used a dual-inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure noble gases trapped in Antarctic ice caps, and showed that mean global ocean temperature increased by 2.57 ± 0.24 degrees Celsius over the last glacial transition (20,000 to 10,000 years ago). Seen here is an ice core from West Antarctica, drilled in 2012.

Credit: Jay Johnson/IDDO.

Reference: B Bereiter et al., “Mean global ocean temperatures during the last glacial transition”, Nature, 553, 39–44 (2018).

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