Scientists from the University of Otago analyzed previously unexplored deposits from Antarctica. As reported by Scitech daily, they may change our understanding of how often the continent experienced ice ages..

“Prior to this study, it was common knowledge that over the past million years, the global volume of ice, including the ice sheets of Antarctica, has expanded and retreated every 100,000 years.. However, this study shows that they actually moved forward and retreated much more frequently — every 41,000 years — until about 400,000 years ago,” said Christian Oneiser, lead author of the study..

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During the study, scientists studied sediment from the Ross Sea, which was excavated for another project.. The core, 6.2 meters long, was extracted in 2003 and then archived and has not been studied since..

By analyzing the deposits, Oneizer was able to reconstruct the dimensions of the Ross Ice Shelf and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet..

“Icebergs that originate from the ice shelf have deposits and rocks attached to their underside.. When icebergs break off, they float out to sea and shed rocks and sediment as they melt.. These rocks and sediments can also come directly from the ice shelf if the ice was above the core.. By finding out how much of this debris is in the core over time, we can build a picture of changes in the size of the ice sheet,” he explained..

The scientist notes that the reconstruction of the past of Antarctica plays an important role in the fight against climate change.

Continental ice sheets can raise sea levels significantly as they melt, so paleoclimate reconstruction can help us understand how they respond to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere..

Understanding how ice sheets have behaved in the past can give us insight into how they will respond to climate change in the future.. And this can help to adjust the work to reduce emissions..

Previously, scientists used a new model that showed that Greenland's glaciers are melting 100 times faster than previously thought.. New modeling takes into account the unique interaction between ice and water in the island's fjords.