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Evidence for Abrupt Climate Change
The ratio of 18O to 16O found in an ice core has shown the history of abrupt climate change on Earth. For example, dry spells around 14,700 years ago resulted in the planet being quite arid north of the equator. The monsoons that followed, caused the proliferation of vegetation north of the equator 14,500 years ago.
This image accompanied NSF press release, "Global Warming Can Impact Monsoons and Lower Crop Production."
Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation
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