The Carbon Cycle - Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration - page 111

(b) (c)

Figure 3.3.1 Vostok ice cores
(a) Ice core data spanning 420,000 years from the Vostok, Antarctica research station.
Current time is at the left. From bottom to top: Solar variation at 65°N due to the
Milankovitch cycles, 18 O isotope of oxygen, levels of methane (CH 4 ), relative tem-
perature, and levels of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Figure by Petit et al. [3.6], reproduced
with permission from Macmillan Publishers .
(b) Location of Lake Vostok in Antarctica. Composite satellite photo from NASA.
(c) French, Russian, and American scientists in the Vostok team photo with unprocessed
ice cores. Cores coming out of the barrel are generally 4-6 m long and are cut into 1 m
sections. The pictured ice columns are unprocessed cores. White containers in the
background are used for transporting 1 m sections. Photo by NASA taken at Vostok .