Unearthing the Climate Change Crystal Ball: The Role of Mud

Mud libraries, such as the Lamont-Doherty Core Repository, hold marine sediment cores that contain Earth's history and serve as the backbone of climate science. These cores provide key information about the Earth's climate going back hundreds of thousands of years, helping scientists understand the impact of changing temperatures and greenhouse gases. However, funding cuts threaten the availability of new cores, limiting scientists' ability to predict future climate changes. By studying the composition of foraminifera and minerals in the cores, researchers can piece together a comprehensive picture of the Earth's climate over time. The loss of the JOIDES Resolution, a ship equipped for drilling high-quality cores, further hampers our understanding of Earth's history.