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What can cosmic dust tell us about the changing Arctic?
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In 2025, the Arctic sea failed to recover as much ice as usual from melting ice, and a record-low maximum was recorded in March.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
Scientists have reconstructed 30,000 years of changes to sea ice in several locations across the Arctic Ocean by looking for traces of cosmic dust embedded in the seafloor, according to a study published on Nov 6.
Scientists analysed sediment samples from the Arctic Ocean by looking for traces of space particles, which fall through the atmosphere at a constant rate and blanket exposed surfaces. If those particles reached the ocean floor, it is an indication that there was no sea ice blocking their path during the years that a particular sediment layer formed.
