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Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
Published on: March 31, 2023
Antarctic Ice Sheet variability across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary climate transition
Simone Galeotti1, Robert DeConto2, Timothy Naish3
1Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo," 61029 Urbino, Italy. simone.galeotti@uniurb.it.
Earth's climate cooled and the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) formed as atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) dropped below 750 ppm. A stable, continental-scale ice sheet emerged when CO2 levels fell below 600 ppm.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics
- Carbon dioxide effects on climate
Background:
- Earth's climate cooled approximately 34 million years ago, leading to Antarctic glaciation.
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were a key factor in this climate shift.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between atmospheric CO2 levels and Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) behavior.
- To reconstruct glacial cycles in Antarctica during a critical climate transition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of sedimentary cycles from a western Ross Sea drill core.
- Reconstruction of orbital forcing and glacial activity between 34 and 31 million years ago.
Main Results:
- Early glacial cycles (≥600 ppm CO2) showed a smaller AIS sensitive to local insolation.
- A stable, continental-scale AIS calving at the coast formed around 32.8 million years ago.
- This transition coincided with CO2 levels falling below approximately 600 ppm.
Conclusions:
- The Antarctic Ice Sheet exhibits threshold behavior in response to CO2 levels.
- The AIS sensitivity to CO2 is significant, with implications for future climate change scenarios.
- Understanding these past transitions is crucial for predicting future ice sheet stability.
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