Tool unravels climate patterns
The new tool will help scientists understand whether debris in glacier deposits are a result of climate or rock avalanche processes. Image: cnicbc/iStockphoto Scientists have developed a new diagnostic tool that will enable better understanding of global climate patterns. By distinguishing whether debris in glacial deposits originates from climatic or rock avalanche processes, the development allows for more accurate data to inform paleoclimate reconstructions of climate models. The development, detailed in Geology last month, represents a breakthrough in the fields of both landslide (rock avalanche) research and our interpretation of climate change from glacial deposits, and found the assumption that glacial deposits always reflect climatic change was unreliable. Monash University’s Dr Stuart Larsen, jointly based at the School of Biological Science and School Geography and Environmental Science, collaborated with researchers from The University of Canterbury and University of Queensland on the development. The study revealed the cause of glacial deposits was more complex than originally thought...