Scientists have found a new explanation for why Antarctica became covered in ice millions of years before the Arctic.
The international study, published in Science, addresses a long-standing climate mystery: how Antarctica could develop a massive ice sheet at a time when Earth was around 5ºC warmer than it is today.
The findings point to the gradual formation of high terrain in East Antarctica. As an escarpment, plateau, and mountain system rose, it created elevations cold enough for snow and ice to persist and build up over time.
The process began after Antarctica and Africa started separating during the Jurassic Period, 201-143 million years ago. Powerful forces deep inside Earth gradually lifted much of East Antarctica over more than 100 million years, helping set the stage for ice sheet formation about 34 million years ago.
The study was led by researchers at the University of Southampton, working with scientists from Durham University, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Germany, the University of Potsdam in Germany, Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and the University of Florence in Italy.
