The National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences awarded the Desert Research Institute $565,958 on February 1, 2027, to develop and interpret high-resolution aerosol records spanning approximately the past 14,000 years using European ice cores collected from Dôme du Goûter and adjacent drill sites in the French Alps.
The project applies state-of-the-art analytical methods and radiometric dating techniques to generate well-dated, high time-resolution records of aerosols—small particles and droplets from sources including desert dust, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and human activities. Atmospheric aerosol transport and deposition modeling will characterize source regions and support interpretation. The research directly builds on prior analysis of a 1999 ice core from Dôme du Goûter, the first stratigraphically intact European ice core record extending into the last glacial period, spanning the full range of aerosol concentrations from the ice age to the current warm period and capturing aerosol conditions across the emergence of human societies from hunter-gatherer populations to modern Europe. Understanding aerosols is critical because they impact weather, atmospheric chemistry, ocean productivity, and human health.
The award funds training of students and postdoctoral researchers, public outreach including participation in an internationally televised documentary, and fostering of international scientific collaborations. The period of performance runs through January 31, 2030, with work performed in Reno, Nevada.
The funding is awarded under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which supports basic research to enhance fundamental knowledge and understanding of the integrated Earth system.