Scientists have uncovered glacial landforms from approximately 1 million years ago beneath the North Sea, providing crucial insights into past climate and ice sheet behavior. Using advanced 3D seismic technology, a team of international researchers, including glaciologist Dr. Christine Batchelor from Newcastle University, identified these ancient features buried nearly 1 kilometer deep under mud. The findings, published in Science Advances, indicate that these landforms originated from an ice sheet that extended from Norway toward the British Isles during a global cooling phase known as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.
This research is significant, as it improves understanding of how ancient ice sheets responded to climate changes, thereby enhancing predictions about the future of today’s ice sheets amid ongoing climate warming. The study revealed streamlined features shaped by glacial movement and elongated furrows linked to ocean currents, suggesting a complex interaction between ice sheets and ocean dynamics. While the data provided valuable insights, researchers acknowledge the need for further sediment core sampling to precisely date the landforms. Overall, the findings significantly enhance the understanding of the geological history of the North Sea, illustrating its evolution before and after ice sheet dominance.
