Geological studies of a drill core combined with computer models show that large ice sheets first formed only in East Antarctica
The glaciation of the Antarctic began approximately 34 million years ago, but the initial phase of glaciation did not encompass the entire continent - as previously assumed. Ice sheet formation was instead limited to the eastern region of the continent, while the western region remained vegetated and largely ice free, as demonstrated in a new study of a sediment drill core retrieved from the Antarctic margin combined with computer-based models. The results also provide a possible reason for why the Antarctic ice sheet appears to be disappearing faster in the west than the east in response to global warming. Steve M. ...
