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speleothems

Posted inEditors' Vox

Using Cave Formations to Investigate Ancient Wildfires

by Micheline Campbell, Liza McDonough, Pauline C. Treble and Andy Baker 2 May 20231 May 2023

From sediment cores to speleothems, environmental archives are helping us to understand the history of wildfires.

A layered tan-colored rock on a table with a ruler and quarter for scale.
Posted inNews

Wisconsin Stalagmite Records North American Warming

by Stacy Kish 6 April 20236 April 2023

A speleothem has revealed rapid periods of warming across the interior of the continent during the last glacial period, corresponding to similar events recorded in Greenland ice.

Detailed image of stalagmite in India’s Mawmluh cave
Posted inNews

Stalagmites Show Evidence of Prolonged Droughts in India

by Nancy Averett 24 October 202224 October 2022

A new study using oxygen isotopes reconstructs a prolonged record of India’s summer monsoons, showing much greater variability than modern data sets.

Filippo Lippi painting of St. Fridianus redirecting the course of the Serchio River
Posted inNews

Holy Water: Miracle Accounts and Proxy Data Tell a Climate Story

Korena Di Roma Howley, Science Writer by Korena Di Roma Howley 10 May 20215 October 2021

In 6th century Italy, saints were said to perform an unusual number of water miracles. Paleoclimatological data from a stalagmite may reveal why.

Two small stalagmites in Yonderup Cave
Posted inEditors' Vox

Stalagmite Layers Reveal Hidden Climate Stories

by A. Baker, G. Mariethoz, L. Comas-Bru, A. Hartmann, S. Frisia, A. Borsato, P. Treble and A. Asrat 26 April 20213 December 2021

A global investigation discovers where annually laminated stalagmites are found, analyzes their growth properties, and explains how they can be best used in Earth science research.

Speleothems hang from the roof of a cave in Herbstlabyrinth, Germany
Posted inScience Updates

Improving Access to Paleoclimate Data

by N. Kaushal, L. Comas-Bru, F. A. Lechleitner, I. G. Hatvani and Z. Kern 1 March 20216 March 2023

Paleoclimate databases are powerful tools for improving climate models. The recent work of speleothem researchers offers lessons on creating a lasting database and fostering the needed mindset.

Stalactites and stalagmites in a cave
Posted inNews

Sooty Layers in Stalagmites Record Human Activity in Caves

Katherine Kornei, Science Writer by Katherine Kornei 16 February 20215 June 2023

Scientists analyzing cave formations in Turkey find layers of soot and charcoal in stalagmites, revealing that humans—and their fires—occupied caves thousands of years ago.

Scientists excavate the remains of a Taíno house at Los Buchillones, Cuba.
Posted inNews

Taíno Stilt Houses May Have Been an Adaptation to Climate Change

Lakshmi Supriya, Science Writer by L. Supriya 15 January 202126 October 2022

A coastal village in the Caribbean flourished during a period of increased hurricanes. Research suggests the Taíno designed their dwellings to persist through the greater storm surges.

Scientists in hardhats excavate a cave.
Posted inNews

Past Seasons Hidden Underground

by C. Fogerty 13 March 202015 October 2021

Belgian paleoclimatologists study a fast-growing stalagmite to glean insight into seasonal climate from centuries past.

Carved Assyrian tablet with winged figures kneeling before a tree and cuneiform script beneath
Posted inNews

Megadrought Helped Topple the Assyrian Empire

Mary Caperton Morton, Science Writer by Mary Caperton Morton 15 January 202028 February 2023

Paleoclimate records shed light on the ancient civilization’s meteoric rise and catastrophic collapse.

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