Question

Antarctica has been continuously glaciated for the last __________ years. geology

Answer 1

Answer:

45.5 million years

Explanation:

The Antarctica started glaciation in the middle Eocene about 45.5 million years ago and increased during the Eocene to Oligocene extinction event about 34 million years ago. Carbon dioxide levels were initially about 760 ppm but decreased to 600 ppm contributing as the primary agent in Antarctic glaciation .

Answer 2

Answer:

15 million years

Explanation:

Antarctica is the continent that is spread around the South Pole, known for being covered with ice, and being the coldest place on the planet. The glaciation of the continent started around 34 million years, started to speed up since 23 million years ago, and became dominant on this continent only around 15 million years ago. Antarctica has not always been covered in ice, and in fact, through the majority of its geologic history Antarctica has been covered with dense forests. This was possible because the continent was much further north, relatively close to the Equator, thus its climate was tropical, subtropical, and temperate. That all started to change as first Pangaea, and then Gondwanaland broke apart, and Antarctica was the piece that was moving toward the South Pole. As Africa, India, Australia, and at last South America drifted apart from Antarctica, the continent was left surrounded by ocean waters where very cold ocean currents occurred because of the continental drift. On top of it the continent got into a place where the sunlight is very weak, thus gradually it started to freeze and had become almost entirely glaciated.