Dominik Fleitmann, how did you come to study the climate using stalagmites?
Dominik Fleitmann, how did you come to study the climate using stalagmites?
It was through my doctoral research. Using stalagmites as climate archives is a relatively young field. Previously, we mainly knew this kind of approach from ice cores, tree rings, or lake sediments. But stalagmites also give us a very precise view into the past.
How far back have you been able to look?
We studied a stalagmite from Saudi Arabia that was 8 million years old. When we discovered it, our instruments were not yet capable of dating it that far back. That only became possible later.
What can you see in a stalagmite?
An enormous amount. For one thing, we can determine its age with a precision of up to about ten years. To do this, we use radioactive elements: uranium is incorporated into the stalagmite as it grows and gradually decays into thorium. We can measure this process and use it to determine the age with high precision.
Read More: University of Basel
Photo Credit: Jaworski via Pixabay
