A new analysis of Greenland ice cores suggests that a platinum spike 12,800 years ago, previously attributed to a cosmic impact, is more likely linked to eruptions from Icelandic volcanoes. This finding casts doubt on the popular “meteorite” hypothesis for the start of the Younger Dryas cold period.
A group of geologists has proposed a new explanation for the mysterious platinum peak recorded in Greenland ice cores, dating back to the period of abrupt cooling around 12,800 years ago, known as the Younger Dryas. The study was published by James Baldini, a Professor of Earth Sciences at Durham University, in The Conversation.
For a long time, the anomaly was thought to have been caused by a meteorite or comet impact. However, recent data shows that the concentration of platinum rose over a period of approximately 14 years—a timeline more consistent with volcanic activity than a single, instantaneous cosmic strike.
The scientists also note that the platinum peak appeared several decades after the cooling period began, making its role as the trigger factor unlikely. In their view, the most probable source could have been eruptions from Icelandic volcanoes, whose activity intensified as ancient glaciers melted. Such processes are capable of releasing platinum-rich gases into the atmosphere, which then settled onto the Greenland ice surface.
While the research does not completely rule out the cosmic impact hypothesis, it points to a simpler and more logical explanation—the volcanic nature of the phenomenon. This new perspective on the Younger Dryas events helps re-evaluate the role of volcanism in past global climate change.
