Ice-Core Climate Change Cosmic Clock

Major climate shifts seen in ice cores — from the oldest Antarctic ice to modern warming — with likely drivers (volcanoes, orbital cycles, greenhouse gases, meltwater, solar) and their position on your cosmic clock.

Ages are approximate. “Years BP” = years before 1950 CE (radiocarbon convention). Ice cores mainly: Antarctic (EPICA/BEYOND EPICA, Dome C) and Greenland (GRIP/GISP2/NGRIP/NEEM).

🧊 Climate Events from Ice Cores

Event Type Scale Core Lat Age / Date

🧭 Cosmic Clock · Drivers · Impacts

Select a climate event on the left to see:

  • Which ice core sees it best (Greenland vs Antarctica) and its latitude band on the cosmic clock
  • Approximate age or historical date, and how fast the change happened
  • Likely main drivers (volcanic aerosols, orbital cycles, greenhouse gases, meltwater pulses, etc.)
  • Impact on temperature, monsoons and known societies (where archaeology overlaps)