Dust may settle unanswered questions on Antarctica
By: Catriona Kelly
University of Edinburgh

Dust trapped deep in Antarctic ice sheets is helping scientists unravel details of past climate change, scientists from University of Edinburgh say.

Researchers have found that dust blown south to Antarctica from the windy plains of Patagonia – and deposited in the ice periodically over 80,000 years – provides vital information about glacier activity.

Scientists hope the findings will help them to better understand how the global climate has changed during the past ice age, and so help predict environmental changes in the future.