16. Antarctic Ice Cores and Paleoclimatology

Ancient air survives inside Antarctic ice cores. Antarctic climate scientist Dr. Tas van Ommen explains how compacted layers of snow preserve atmospheric gases, dust, volcanic sulphur, and water isotopes, creating a continuous climate record reaching back about 800,000 years. Hear what it takes to drill ice cores kilometres below the Antarctic surface, why researchers are searching for a continuous million-year ice core, and how ancient air bubbles help test modern climate models. The episode also reveals how an Antarctic snowfall record helped researchers understand long-term drought and rainfall changes in Western Australia.

Episode Guest: Dr. Tas van Ommen

Find more on Dr. van Ommen here.

Follow Dr. van Ommen on X

Find Dr. van Ommen’s publications here. 

Episode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media Website

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Hosted, produced, written, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art and PFM logo by Laurel Wong. 

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

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