And by stringing together all the pieces of the ice core record, paleoclimatologists can construct a remarkably detailed history of the climate on this planet. They can then use this history to try to understand how and why climate has changed over time. This understanding is particularly important today, he added. Humans have begun to alter the climate by adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, according to the preliminary version of an international scientific report distributed recently by the United Nations. Housed at the U.S. Geological Survey s facility at the Denver Federal Center, the National Ice Core Laboratory consists of a loading dock, a few offices, and one of the world s largest freezers.
Colorful flags hang from the ceiling, honoring the nations involved in ice core research worldwide.
A Macintosh computer is sheathed with insulating foam and equipped with a touch screen. Nobody wants to remove mittens to operate a keyboard in this lab. The computer houses the archives of the thousands of cores stored in the mansion-sized freezer. Despite its enormous size, the lab is running out of storage room. Like any space-conscious librarian, Cravens is hoping to install compact shelving.