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Scientists Study Growing Glaciers to Save Melting Ice
14 Jan
Summary
- Tajikistan glaciers resist melting, offering hope for global ice preservation.
- Ice cores from 5,810 meters aim to unlock secrets of anomalous glacier growth.
- Research seeks to apply findings to protect threatened glaciers worldwide.
Japanese scientist Yoshinori Iizuka is part of an international team studying glaciers in Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains, where an unusual phenomenon of ice growth is occurring. These glaciers have resisted the widespread melting observed globally, a situation scientists are calling the 'Pamir-Karakoram anomaly.' The research aims to understand the mechanisms behind this resilience.
Ice cores, drilled to approximately 105 meters from the Kon-Chukurbashi ice cap at 5,810 meters altitude, are being analyzed. One set of samples is stored in Antarctica, while another is at Hokkaido University in Japan. Scientists are meticulously examining these cores for clues about past precipitation and temperature, hoping to reconstruct climatic history stretching back thousands of years.
The analysis of these ancient ice samples could provide crucial insights into how to protect glaciers threatened by global warming. By understanding why these specific glaciers have grown, researchers hope to develop strategies applicable to preserving glacial ice worldwide, offering a potential pathway to mitigating the impacts of climate change on these vital natural resources.
