A layer of fossils under the ocean not far from the South Pole shows that Antarctica was once a lush rainforest. About 90 million years ago, during the super greenhouse period, the entire continent was covered by rainforest and had a climate as warm as Italy today. Amazing to see that a region that is now covered by huge ice sheets was home to a temperate rainforest.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.co ... t-be-again
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
-
- dampfnudel
- Posts: 625
- Joined:
Re: Ancient Rainforest Discovered in Antarctica
And it may be again. 
Re: Ancient Rainforest Discovered in Antarctica
Did they find any coal-fired power plants or internal-combustion engines?
-
- prebennorholm
- Posts: 7197
- Joined:
Re: Ancient Rainforest Discovered in Antarctica
Nothing special, and nothing new either. Fossils of palm trees have been found at many places in Greenland many decades ago.
It doesn't need to be related to a "greenhouse" or anti-iceage period. It can be related to continental drift or wobble of the earth rotation axis. Or a combination of drift, wobble, and anti-iceage.
It doesn't need to be related to a "greenhouse" or anti-iceage period. It can be related to continental drift or wobble of the earth rotation axis. Or a combination of drift, wobble, and anti-iceage.
Re: Ancient Rainforest Discovered in Antarctica
Was Antarctica even in its current position 90 million years ago?
Re: Ancient Rainforest Discovered in Antarctica
prebennorholm wrote:Nothing special, and nothing new either. Fossils of palm trees have been found at many places in Greenland many decades ago.
It doesn't need to be related to a "greenhouse" or anti-iceage period. It can be related to continental drift or wobble of the earth rotation axis. Or a combination of drift, wobble, and anti-iceage.
Antarctica was a bit further north 90 million years ago to the point where parts of it could sustain trees based in images of where land was 90 million years ago. The planet was also far warmer then and ha 2.5 to 4 times the CO2 in the atmosphere than today. Plate tectonics moved it south but it was closer to 60 deg S and more of it would be at a temperate latitude.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/rai ... -years-ago
https://scienceviews.com/photo/medium/SIA3584.jpg