The Antarctic Ice Sheet Formed By Ideal Coincidence

Tectonic shifts and a drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide allowed the development of the mighty ice sheet, the fate of which now hangs in the balance.

By Joshua Rapp Learn
Feb 21, 2022 5:35 PMFeb 21, 2022 5:37 PM
Antarctica ice Neumayer Channel
(Credit: Amelie Koch/Shutterstock)

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Millions of years ago, Antarctica wasn’t quite the ice box it is today. While still chilly by the rest of the world’s standards, the great southern continent likely had periods of relative warmth compared to modern temperatures.  

To set the scene: the Americas and Australia were previously attached to Antarctica through land bridges. But everything changed roughly 34 million years ago when movements under the Earth’s crust propelled the landmass to split off. 

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