•1 min read•from Oceanography News -- ScienceDaily
Scientists solve 12,800-year-old climate mystery hidden in Greenland ice
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Recent research has shed light on a 12,800-year-old climate mystery concealed within Greenland's ice. Previously, a spike of platinum found in the ice sparked theories of a catastrophic comet or asteroid impact that may have triggered the Younger Dryas, a period marked by abrupt cooling. However, new findings suggest a different explanation: volcanic eruptions. The platinum signal, observed to emerge decades after the onset of cooling, aligns more closely with volcanic activity than with cosmic events, challenging long-held assumptions about this pivotal climatic shift.
A mysterious spike of platinum buried deep in Greenland’s ice has long fueled theories of a catastrophic comet or asteroid strike 12,800 years ago—possibly triggering a sudden return to icy conditions known as the Younger Dryas. But new research points to a far less dramatic, yet still powerful culprit: volcanic eruptions. Scientists found the platinum signal doesn’t match space debris and actually appeared decades after the cooling began, ruling out an impact as the trigger.
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