storage
Storage
Tree rings tell the story of climate patterns during the life of the tree. Each ring represent one year. Climate records from trees go back about 2000 years.
Due to their enormous weight and the force of gravity, glaciers move from the center of the continent towards the ocean in rivers of ice. When they reach the ocean they float off shore to form ice shelves.
Unlike tree rings, sediment cores go back hundreds of thousands of years in the Earth's history. Instead of yearly cycles, sediment bands indicate climate cycles which may span hundreds to thousands of years.
Diagram of an ice shelf. Notice the sample core showing different layers depending on the advance or retreat of the ice shelf.
