Read more at Carbon Brief

• Scientists in Svalbard are working to salvage crucial climate data from rapidly melting glaciers.
• The Blombstrandbreen glacier in Svalbard is a key focus, where air bubbles in glacial ice contain historical carbon dioxide levels.
• This vital climate information is at risk due to accelerated glacier melt caused by rising air and ocean temperatures, with ice loss more than doubling since 2000.
• Svalbard is experiencing warming seven times faster than the global average, making its glaciers highly vulnerable.
• Meltwater is washing away compounds in the ice, potentially distorting the climate signals preserved within.
• Researcher Dorothea Moser is simulating meltwater’s impact on ice cores, using food dye to track its path and understand how it affects preserved climate information.
• The research aims to help scientists differentiate between meltwater impacts and actual climate data in ice cores.
• Scientists are deeply affected by the rapid changes in the Arctic but remain hopeful about the importance of their work.