Environment

Dakota Midday: Finding Climate Clues in Ancient Polar Ice

SDPB Radio | By Karl Gehrke

Published April 20, 2015 at 2:02 PM CDT

Four years ago researchers in Antarctica completed drilling a nearly 11,000 foot column of ice. It's the second deepest ice core ever drilled and the longest ever done by U.S. scientists. Some of the ice is up to 100,000 years old. Researchers have been studying the gas bubbles trapped in the ancient polar ice to get answers to key questions about past climate changes.

Ed Brook, a geosciences professor at Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, is one of the principle investigators on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core project. Brook has also conducted field research in Greenland, Scandinavia, northern Canada and the western United States and runs one of the few laboratories dedicated to the study of gas bubbles frozen in polar ice.

This evening Brook is speaking at the University of South Dakota on the “History of Greenhouse Gases and Climate from Polar Ice Cores: Lessons from the Past, Thoughts for the Future.” The program begins at 7:30 pm in Beacom Hall Auditorium.

Professor Brook joined Dakota Midday and discussed his climate change research.

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Environment Climate Change

Karl Gehrke

Karl was born to northeastern South Dakota crouton farmers, but was orphaned as a toddler during the Great Salad War (1966-67). Rescued by a flock of chickadees, he grew up in the woodlands of Sica Hollow. Legends of a bird boy living in the trees attracted the interest of renowned ornithologist and amateur bandoneon repairman Dr. Vogel Gehrke. With a handful of suet, Dr. Gehrke coaxed the timid boy down from the trees. He adopted him, named him Karl and taught him not to molt on the carpet. Dr. Gehrke’s book, The Bird Boy of Sica Hollow, was a best seller and Karl became a minor celebrity and teen idol. He appeared as a guest star on numerous television programs, most notably an awkward role on The Love Boat as the boyfriend of Captain Stubing’s daughter, Vicki. After critics panned his 1980 album, Bird Boy Does Disco, Karl retreated from public life and returned to Sica Hollow. Living in an isolated tree house, Karl achieved a reputation as a mystic. Pilgrims and seekers from around the world came to ask him about the meaning of life and for vinaigrette recipes. Growing tired of answering questions, he climbed down from his tree, shaved his massive white beard and took a job as the host of SDPB Radio’s Dakota Midday where he could ask the questions instead. After three years in that position, he ran out of questions and became host of Jazz Nightly instead. Karl makes his home in Vermillion with his charming wife Kari and three delightful children, Kodey, Kasey and Spatula. His hobbies include reciting the alphabet, combing his hair and doing volunteer work with delinquent songbirds.

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