Bacteria Levels In Ice Cores Correlate With Temperature

Bacterial abundance, lowest in 1938 and highest in 1997, increased in accordance with levels of oxygen-18, a natural, stable isotope of oxygen known to be well correlated with temperature. Usually, oxygen-18 concentration in ice will go up in warmer years.
The bacteria also increased with levels of dust in the core, scientists discovered when measuring calcium levels in visible dirty layers. The dust was likely transported onto the glacier during the spring dust storm season and trapped in ice through subsequent melting of the snow and ice.
Further analysis showed that seasonal factor plays a part in bacterial diversity. During the annual monsoon season, the microbes originated from very diverse environments including animal and human sources, while in non-monsoon seasons they mainly came from closer and cold environments.
The study is the first of its kind to connect bacteria with climate change for ecological studies.
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