Scientists find fossils off Pine Island Glacier revealing ancient rainforest
Scientists found fossils in sediments on the ocean floor surrounding Pine Island Glacier showing that Antarctica wasn't always an icy desert. It used to be a temperate, swampy rainforest about 90 million years ago.
Back then, the average temperature was around 12 degrees Celsius, which is warmer than some places today!
This discovery flips what we thought we knew about Antarctica and shows how much the climate can change when greenhouse gasses are high.
Researchers recover plant fossils in Antarctica
Researchers uncovered roots, pollen, and spores from ancient plants during drilling of sediments on the ocean floor surrounding Pine Island Glacier, proving that the continent once had thick forests and lots of rain.
These fossils help scientists understand how Earth's climate has shifted over time and offer clues about what could happen if greenhouse gasses keep rising.