Ice sheet–free West Antarctica during peak early Oligocene glaciation

One of Earth’s most fundamental climate shifts – the greenhouse-icehouse transition 34 Ma ago – initiated Antarctic ice-sheet build-up, influencing global climate until today. However, the extent of the ice sheet during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma) that immediately followed this transition, a critical knowledge gap for assessing feedbacks between permanently glaciated areas and early Cenozoic global climate reorganization, is uncertain. Here, we present shallow-marine drilling data constraining earliest Oligocene environmental conditions on West Antarctica’s Pacific margin – a key region for understanding Antarctic ice sheet-evolution. These data indicate a cool-temperate environment, with mild ocean and air temperatures preventing West Antarctic Ice Sheet formation. Climate-ice sheet modeling corroborates a highly asymmetric Antarctic ice sheet, thereby revealing its differential regional response to past and future climatic change

Ice sheet–free West Antarctica during peak early Oligocene glaciation

One of Earth’s most fundamental climate shifts – the greenhouse-icehouse transition 34 Ma ago – initiated Antarctic ice-sheet build-up, influencing global climate until today. However, the extent of the ice sheet during the Early Oligocene Glacial Maximum (~33.7–33.2 Ma) that immediately followed this transition, a critical knowledge gap for assessing feedbacks between permanently glaciated areas and early Cenozoic global climate reorganization, is uncertain. Here, we present shallow-marine drilling data constraining earliest Oligocene environmental conditions on West Antarctica’s Pacific margin – a key region for understanding Antarctic ice sheet-evolution. These data indicate a cool-temperate environment, with mild ocean and air temperatures preventing West Antarctic Ice Sheet formation. Climate-ice sheet modeling corroborates a highly asymmetric Antarctic ice sheet, thereby revealing its differential regional response to past and future climatic change

Fracture Logging of the AND-1B Core, McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, Antarctica

Over 4300 natural and induced fractures were logged in AND-1B drill core. Induced fractures include steeply dipping, petal, petal-centreline, and core-edge induced fractures (n=421) which reach a maximum density of 5 fractures/metre. Subhorizontal induced extension fractures are also abundant. Natural fractures (n=1485) occur in Miocene to Pleistocene age strata and include faults, brecciated zones, veins and sedimentary intrusions. Kinematic indicators document dominant normal faulting, although reverse faults are also present. Vein types include slickenfiber veins along faults, opening-mode fibrous veins, pressure shadows on clast margins, and complex microvein webs within fault zones