Analysis of Earth's geologic record can reveal how the climate has changed over time. Scientists in New Zealand are examining samples from the rocky landscape once dominated by glaciers. They are employing a new technique called surface exposure dating, which uses chemical analysis to determine how long minerals within rocks have been exposed to the air since the glaciers around them melted. Comparisons of this data with other climate records have revealed a link between glacial retreat and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the air, findings that are informing scientists' understanding of global climate change today.

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Glacier retreat in New Zealand during the Younger Dryas stadial

The Last Glacial Termination

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University of Maine: Department of Earth Sciences

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Columbia University: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences