Scientists uncover the climate shock that reshaped Easter Island

New research from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory provides the strongest evidence so far that a prolonged drought reshaped life on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) starting around the year 1550. To uncover this history, scientists extracted sediment cores from two of the island's limited freshwater sites: Rano Aroi, a wetland high in elevation, and Rano Kao, a crater lake. These sediments preserve natural chemical signals that record past environmental conditions.

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