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Isotopic Compositions and Ice Cores

Reading

A reading that explains how the analyses of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes from ice cores determine past temperatures on Earth.

Students will learn how isotopic ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules from the ice-cores can be used to infer temperature variations in the past on Earth.

Use this tool to help your students find answers to:

  1. How are isotopic ratios from ice cores used to calculate past temperatures?
  2. Which isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen are used to compare against a standard to draw inferences about temperature variations in the past?
About Tool
Tool Name How are past temperatures determined from an ice core?
Discipline Chemistry, Earth Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline Atomic Number, Atomic Mass, Cryosphere, Isotopes, Isotopic Ratios, Isotopic Fractionation, δ18O, Stable Isotopes, SMOW, Paleoclimate Reconstruction
Climate Topic Climate and the Cryosphere
Type of tool Reading
Grade Level High School, Undergraduate
Location Antarctica
Language English
Translation      –
Developed by Robert Mulvaney
Hosted at SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, a Division of Springer Nature America, Inc.
Link
Access Online
Computer Skills Basic

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TROP ICSU is a project of the International Union of Biological Sciences and Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Climate Change, FLAME University.

Copyright © 2023 TROP ICSU, All rights reserved. Design and Developed by DWPlaceSolutions

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