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Secrets of the Late Cenozoic Ice Age: Why is ice sheet formation so critical?
The Late Cenozoic Ice Age, also known as the Antarctic Ice Age, began at the Paleocene-Oligocene boundary 34 million years ago and is still ongoing. This is Earth's current glacial or igloo period, the beginning of which marks the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. This ice age not only changed the earth's climate, but also had a profound impact on the evolution of human beings and the development of the earth's ecosystem.
During the first stages of the glacial period, the Antarctic ice sheet gradually formed and pushed the Earth's climate toward cooling. About 28 million years ago, the East Antarctic ice sheet formed and reached its current extent, and over the next 20 million years, glaciers expanded from the northern to southern hemispheres.
“The formation of the Antarctic ice sheet transformed the earth from a warm greenhouse climate to the current igloo climate, which has an immeasurable impact on the global climate system.”
The formation process of the Antarctic ice sheet
The formation of the entire Antarctic ice sheet is closely related to the Earth's climate conditions. 34 million years ago, when carbon dioxide levels dropped to 750 ppm, the topography of Antarctica began to support the existence of land-based ice sheets. Over the next few million years, the Antarctic ice sheet expanded massively, a process that contributed to strategic climate change.
Three major ice caps formed in Antarctica 29 million years ago, located in the Dronning Maude area, the Gamburtsev Mountains and the Transantarctic Mountains. As the climate cooled further, these ice caps grew rapidly and eventually merged to form the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. This process caused the Antarctic ice sheet to cover most of the area and had an important impact on the global climate at that time.
“The emergence of ice sheets not only affects the Antarctic ecosystem, but also changes global climate patterns, leading to strong ocean circulation changes.”
Glacier expansion in the Northern Hemisphere
Glacier expansion in the Northern Hemisphere began during the late Pliocene epoch about 2.9 million years ago, when Greenland was gradually covered by ice sheets. During this time, much of North America and Eurasia began to experience the influence of glaciers. The formation of glaciers not only changed the landscape at that time, but also had a huge impact on the ecological environment.
During the last glacial period, these ice sheets finally reached their maximum extent and contributed to a global drop in sea levels. Research shows that average global temperatures at that time were significantly lower than today, making the expansion of ice possible and the basis for future climate change.
"This chain of events shows that the existence and disappearance of ice sheets is actually part of a larger plan in the Earth's climate system."
The connection between humans and the Ice Age
As these ice sheets evolve, human history is being rewritten. About 11,700 years ago, the last ice age ended and we entered the Holocene epoch in which we live now. The environmental changes in this stage created good conditions for human development, leading to the rise of agriculture and civilization. However, although we now enjoy a relatively warm climate, the effects of the ice ages still lurk in our environment.
In the process of studying climate change, scientists have realized that changes in ice sheets have a profound impact on the earth's temperature, sea levels and ecosystems. Currently, the scientific community is facing a new challenge, which is how to understand and respond to climate changes caused by human activities, especially in the era of global warming.
"Although we are in a warm period, the effects of the ice age are ongoing, which means we must cherish and protect our earth even more."
For possible future climate change, can we rethink the relationship between humans and the earth while looking for solutions to adapt to the upcoming challenges?
