Скачать или смотреть Cenozoic global climate and Antarctic Ice Sheet history: A brief journey

Dr. Adrián López-Quirós, Assistant Professor
Department of Stratigraphy and Paleontology, Faculty of Science
Universidad de Granada

Understanding the Cenozoic evolution of the Southern Ocean is key to deciphering the complex interplay between tectonics, ocean circulation, and global climate. This region has played a pivotal role in Earth's climate history, both driving and recording major environmental transitions from greenhouse to icehouse conditions, thereby providing critical insights into the dynamics of long-term climate change.

In this seminar, I will take the audience on a journey through the Cenozoic history of the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Ice Sheet—a period marked by pronounced climate shifts and the stepwise expansion of continental-scale glaciation. Starting with the intense warmth of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum, I will explore the progressive cooling that led to major glacial events such as the Eocene–Oligocene transition and the Mi-1 glaciation, as well as warmer intervals like the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum and the early Pliocene. Drawing on sedimentary records and results from oceanographic expeditions, I will highlight how recent scientific advances—including my own contributions as an early-career researcher—are reshaping our understanding of Antarctic climate evolution. I will also share the insights I gained from participating in recent oceanographic expeditions and discuss why they are important for filling critical gaps in the paleoclimate record.