4 of 4

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 4

chronological study of extraterrestrial dust in Antarctic ice has shown that this amount has remained constant over the past 30,000 years. This finding, Science Daily explains, "could help refine efforts to understand the timing and effects of changes in the Earth's past climate." The same study also used, "a new and improved," analytical technique to show that dust carried to Antarctica from continental sources changed depending on the climate. That fact is interesting to me, but now I see that their use of the phrase, "new and improved," is probably why I ended up finding this site with the article from Science Daily on the Earthly effect of space dust. It's strange how intellectually average human beings can discover and learn scientific things by such mysterious means, as looking for dust products.

Still, I'm left with even more questions than I ever dreamed I'd ask about science. One of them is this: If I can't figure out how to get dust our of my house, how will they ever decide how to get rid of those dirty dust devils within and beyond the sky? I suppose that's why it's great that God has provided Earth with more scientific minds than mine.

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON SPACE DUST:

I found a study which appears in the July issue of the journal, "Science," involving research from The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. This, they explain, is a part of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, a very long way from where I come from, but it's also connected to The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. The study found that the depth of the core they examined corresponded to the period between 6, 800 and 29,000 years ago, which is a span that includes the height of the last glacial period and the transition to warm conditions, similar to today's conditions.

The scientists collected what they referred to as, "particulate matter," which to me sounds like just dust, but this stuff was collected from the EPICA, which stands for European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica. With this source of ice core, they measured the concentration of helium-3, a rate isotope that is plentiful in the sun's solar wind and is carried to Earth within a lot of cosmic dust particles, measuring just a few thousandths of a millimeter in diameter. This dust stuff carry their helium load to the Earth's surface where they are preserved in the snow and ice of the polar ice caps, among other places so they say. They were also able to measure fin variations

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The earth and space dust?
We want to hear your view. Write now!