Reading Ancient Climate from Plankton Shells

      Scientists have viewed plankton shells to chart climate changes in sea temperatures. This information could provide the means for scientists to scale temperature from millions of years ago by showing us things like tree rings. Before we used plankton to chart changes, we used ice from the poles, which trap bubbles of ancient air. "The oldest Antarctic ice core records date back to around 800,000 years ago." Says ScienceDaily.com.
   
      Scientists have learned that the plankton that grow in warmer climate have more traces of ancient atoms. Another way we can read ancient climates is by looking at the shells of dead plankton who have fallen to the ocean floor. Scientists can recover ocean floor sediments which are preserved in the shells. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered magnesium in the shells of plankton, which helps us tell how warmer waters could effect the shells.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/release2013/10/131

Picture: http://www.sciencedaily.com/release025123155.htm