Ice cores are long cylinders or tubes of ice that contain a record of the Earth's climate history. They are formed by layers of snowfall and compacted over time to form solid ice. Scientists can extract these cores from glaciers, ice sheets, or other frozen bodies of water, such as lakes or oceans, and analyze them for information about past temperature, atmospheric conditions, and even historical events.
The layers within the ice core contain different types of data that scientists can study to learn more about our planet's climate history. For example, trapped air bubbles in the ice can be analyzed for their composition, which can reveal information about past atmospheric conditions such as levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Layers of volcanic ash or pollution from human activities can also be found within the core, providing additional data points to study climate change over time.
Overall, ice cores are an important tool for scientists studying our planet's history and helping us understand how climate is changing today.