Story: Climate change

Sediment cores

Sediment cores

Cores (samples) from sediment on the sea floor can provide information about past climate. Unlike ice cores, which supply direct information, sediment cores give indirect evidence. For example, to determine temperature, scientists painstakingly pick out and count plankton shells, which twist in different directions depending on the temperature of the water they grew in.

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Photograph by Tim Naish

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How to cite this page:

Brett Mullan, Petra Pearce, Stephen Stuart, Ben Liley and Stacy Mohan, 'Climate change - Past climate', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/7546/sediment-cores (accessed 28 March 2024)

Story by Brett Mullan, Petra Pearce, Stephen Stuart, Ben Liley and Stacy Mohan, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 20 Jul 2020