An ancient glacier on an island in the Canadian Arctic could hold vital clues about Earth's past. However, researchers will have to be strategic about how they manage their time.
What's happening?
As detailed by Science News, researchers found the remnants of a glacier that could be more than one million years old — possibly the oldest glacier discovered in permafrost (ground that has been frozen for at least two consecutive years).
The team believes the glacier could give them unprecedented insight into the early Pleistocene epoch, a period when Earth experienced glacial and interglacial cycles.
According to the report, the journey began back in 2009, when geomorphologist Daniel Fortier and his colleagues investigated landslides triggered by melting permafrost. They found layered bodies of ice above a fossil forest, and radiocarbon dating revealed a stunning surprise: The ice contained organic matter that was more than 60,000 years old.
"I was not expecting that at all," Fortier told Science News.
A "flip in the alignment of magnetic minerals" also coincided with a 770,000-year-old reversal of Earth's magnetic field. The researchers published their analysis in Geology.
Why is this glacier important?
Glaciers can provide crucial data about our planet's past and provide clues about its future.
"Permafrost is a valuable paleoenvironmental repository as the sediments and ice can archive fossils, flora, organic remains, and ancient DNA," the researchers wrote in Geology. "... In addition, the presence of ancient permafrost can help assess the response of permafrost to past climates and future changes."
As NASA explains, Earth's climate has changed naturally throughout history, with eight ice and warming cycles over the past 800,000 years. However, human activities — mainly the use of dirty fuels — have caused the planet to overheat at an accelerated rate.
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Definitely 👍 This unnatural warming has caused glaciers and permafrost to melt, contributing to rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities. Our oceans are also absorbing more carbon than ever before, with the acidity of the waters increasing by around 30% since the Industrial Revolution.
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This acidification is threatening commercially beneficial species such as shellfish. Melting sea ice also endangers microorganisms that support healthy marine ecosystems, suggesting that our food systems could be in jeopardy if things continue on the same trajectory.
What can be done about this?
The researchers wrote that their discovery "indicates resilience of these ice-cored terrain to past warmer climate," indicating that it isn't too late to bring the planet back into balance.
"I don't think permafrost will disappear so fast. The system is more resilient than we think," Fortier told Science News. However, the analysis cautioned that "modern climate warming and accelerated rates of thermokarst [permafrost erosion]" could destabilize the glacial archives.
You can support research efforts by donating to organizations that are doing the work. Meanwhile, upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and unplugging unused electronic devices (including gaming consoles) are budget-friendly ways to reduce pollution threatening glaciers.
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