CANBERRA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- A groundbreaking study released in Australia on Thursday recorded sea temperatures over millions of years that could reveal the secrets to the climate change.
Australian scientist Sindia Sosdian and research partner Yair Rosenthal studied the shells of tiny sea creatures for more than three years to examine major climate shifts over the past 3.2 million years.
The research recorded two major cooling periods over that time -the first about 2.7 million years ago when a drop in greenhouse gases is believed to have caused the formation of giant ice sheets in the northern hemisphere.
Sosdian believed that the information could help climate change specialists better interpret ancient shifts in temperatures.
It could also hold the key to predicting future changes with more clarity.
"That's an interesting finding and that's something .. new to the scientific community," Sosdian said.
"Now they (climate change scientists) can ask what's caused it and why do we see these interesting changes."
Sosdian indicated the ice sheets had a much bigger impact on global temperatures than first thought.
"Our finding suggests that the way ice grows and retreats - its physical dynamics - played a significant role in hastening climate transitions the second time around," she said.
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