What Caused Antarctica to Freeze Millions of Years Ago? New Clues Could Finally Solve This Longstanding Climate Mystery

New clues to the formation of Antarctica’s ice sheet suggest that the continent froze millions of years ago due to geological changes rather than solely climate factors. The study, published in *Science*, indicates that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) formed near the transition between the Eocene and Oligocene eras, around 34 million years ago, when global temperatures were warmer than today. The research points to the gradual uplift of Antarctica’s land surface, which allowed ice to gain a permanent foothold despite the surrounding oceans and temperatures remaining warm. The study’s models show that this uplift occurred over 15 million years before mass-scale glaciation began on the continent.

The study’s findings indicate that the formation of the EAIS was influenced by a combination of geological processes, including continental breakup and landscape evolution. The uplift of the landmass created a higher elevation where ice could grow, and the process was driven by the gradual movement of a wave of uplift and erosion inland. The researchers also identified that the albedo feedback from the icy surface contributed to additional cooling, which may have played a role in the overall cooling that led to glaciation.

The study suggests that Earth’s transition into an icehouse was not solely driven by climate factors but involved slow geological transformations over millions of years. The landscape changes facilitated ice sheet formation, and the evolution of the continent’s geography ultimately shaped the planet’s climate. The research, titled “Continental breakup–driven uplift instigated East Antarctic Ice Sheet formation,” was published in *Science*.

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