Urgent.News

What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.

Science

Giant ice mountains on the other side of Earth once dictated Australia’s climate – new study

Mountains of ice far away in the northern hemisphere surely couldn’t change rainfall in Australia – or could they?

Abstract editorial illustration

In a groundbreaking study published in Climate of the Past, researchers have discovered that giant ice mountains on the other side of the Earth once dictated Australia’s climate. During the most recent ice age, approximately 49,000 years ago, massive ice sheets in North America were already large enough to influence climate far beyond their edges, despite never reaching Australia.

The study, conducted by Himadri Saini and Laurie Menviel, demonstrates the interconnectedness of Earth’s climate system and the far-reaching effects of these ancient ice giants. The ice sheets not only reshaped coastlines but also altered atmospheric circulation patterns, leading to significant shifts in rainfall patterns across Australia and other parts of the world.

Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

Also reported by 2 other outlets

Read the original at theconversation.com →

More in Science

Three Times I Measured Nothing

Builder Journal · Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) Virtual Sensor Recovery Ten times in a row I predicted what my next submission would score before I uploaded it.

More from Thursday 6 August →