Antarctica used to be greener, warmer 90 mn years ago!

Antarctica used to be greener, warmer 90 mn years ago!

The scientists, including those from Imperial College London in the UK, discovered forest soil pertaining to a time between 145 and 66 million years ago within 900 kilometres of the South Pole.

PTIUpdated: Friday, April 03, 2020, 10:29 AM IST
article-image
Antarctica |

Researchers have unearthed evidence of rainforests near the South Pole 90 million years ago, a finding which suggests that the climate at this time was exceptionally warm with a higher level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than previously thought.

The scientists, including those from Imperial College London in the UK, discovered forest soil pertaining to a time between 145 and 66 million years ago within 900 kilometres of the South Pole.

In the study, published in the journal Nature, they analysed preserved roots, pollen, and spores from this soil, and showed that the world at that time – the Cretaceous period – was a lot warmer than previously thought.

“The preservation of this 90-million-year-old forest is exceptional, but even more surprising is the world it reveals,” said study co-author Tina van de Flierdt from Imperial College London.

“Even during months of darkness, swampy temperate rainforests were able to grow close to the South Pole, revealing an even warmer climate than we expected,” van de Flierdt said.

According to the study, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were higher than expected during the mid-Cretaceous period, 115-80 million years ago, challenging current climate models of the period.

The mid-Cretaceous was the heyday of the dinosaurs but was also the warmest period in the past 140 million years, with temperatures in the tropics as high as 35 degrees Celsius, and sea level 170 metres higher than today, the scientists said.

However, they said, very little is known about the environment south of the Antarctic Circle at this time.

The scientists compared the current evidence of a temperate rainforest in the region to what is found in New Zealand today. They said the finding is even more significant considering that the South Pole experiences only a four-month polar night, meaning for a third of every year there is no life-giving sunlight at all.

According to the researchers, the presence of the forest suggests average temperatures in this region were around 12 degrees Celsius, with little likelihood for the presence of an ice cap at the South Pole at the time.

The study noted that the evidence for the Antarctic forest is based on a core of sediment drilled into the seabed near the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in West Antarctica.

RECENT STORIES

Paris Viral Video: High Voltage Drama At Charles de Gaulle Airport As Migrants Protest Against...

Paris Viral Video: High Voltage Drama At Charles de Gaulle Airport As Migrants Protest Against...

Pakistan Horror: Man Strangulates Sister To Death In Family's Presence; Shocking Crime...

Pakistan Horror: Man Strangulates Sister To Death In Family's Presence; Shocking Crime...

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Racist Posts Target Indian Crew On Social Media Following Collision

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Racist Posts Target Indian Crew On Social Media Following Collision

'Undoubtedly Saved Lives': US Prez Joe Biden Lauds Quick Action By Indian Crew Members In Baltimore...

'Undoubtedly Saved Lives': US Prez Joe Biden Lauds Quick Action By Indian Crew Members In Baltimore...

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: 6 Missing Presumed Dead, Says Maryland State Police; Rescue Ops Underway

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: 6 Missing Presumed Dead, Says Maryland State Police; Rescue Ops Underway