Scientists from Ohio State University (OSU) have studied ice cores from Nevado Huascaran, the world’s highest tropical mountain located in the Peruvian Andes, to gain unprecedented insights into the climate history of the Amazon Basin over the past six decades. Unlike polar regions, samples from tropical areas like Nevado Huascaran can provide valuable information about phenomena such as El Niño and the movement of monsoon winds. The research involved collecting ice core samples from the summit and the mountain col, the lowest point between two ridges.
Key Points:
•Nevado Huascaran, standing at nearly 7,000 meters above sea level, is the world’s highest tropical mountain.
•Ice core samples were collected from the summit and the mountain col to analyze the impact of climate change on the region over the past six decades.
•The study focused on understanding the sensitivity of ice cores to large-scale changes in sea surface temperature at different elevations.
•Ice from the summit was found to be more sensitive to changes in sea surface temperature compared to samples from lower elevations, providing valuable insights into regional climate history.
•The research is crucial for studying the history of El Niño in the tropics, as there are limited observational data sets or historical records for tropical regions.
The findings will contribute to understanding the accelerated retreat of ice from Nevado Huascaran and provide insights into the complex ocean-atmosphere system of the Earth. The study’s lead author, Austin Weber, emphasized the significance of ice cores in studying the history of El Niño in the tropics, where observational data sets are limited.
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