Million Whys Press logo
Million Whys PressToronto
← Book 30 videos

Book 30, Question 142

What story do layers of lake sediment tell?

Every year, a thin layer of mud, plant bits, and pollen settles on the bottom of a lake.

Scientists push a long tube into the bottom to take out a core, a tall column of layers like a layer cake. Each layer tells about a year long ago. They can find out about past climate, fires, plants, and pollution. Deeper layers are older.

Why I wrote this