由南安普顿大学托马斯·杰农（Thomas Gernon）教授领衔的国际团队于2026年8月25日在《Science》杂志上发表了一项最新研究（DOI: 10.1126/science.adz6758） 1。该研究提出，地球内部缓慢移动的地幔波在约1亿年间逐渐抬升了东南极洲，形成高原与山脉，使其海拔达到冰川发育的临界高度 1。这一地质演变使得南极洲在约3400万年前全球仍较温暖时率先开始大规模冰川化，解释了南极洲为何比北半球更早冻结，而北半球的大冰盖直到约500万年前才形成 1。研究强调，地质过程与气候反馈共同塑造了冰期的起源 1。
研究团队重建了东南极洲表面约1亿年的演化过程，指出海拔每升高100米，气温最多可下降1摄氏度 1。数据显示，约4500万年前，东南极洲大部分地区已升至约2公里的临界海拔 1。相比之下，5000万年前甘布尔采夫山脉大部分低于1.5公里，而到3400万年前，其近一半区域已升至2公里以上 1。冰盖形成后产生的冰反照率效应，估计使全球温度下降了约1摄氏度 1。此外，东南极冰盖若完全融化，可使全球海平面上升约52米 1。此次研究的合作机构还包括杜伦大学、德国GFZ亥姆霍兹地球科学中心、波茨坦大学、乌得勒支大学和佛罗伦萨大学 1。
An international research team led by Professor Thomas Gernon from the University of Southampton published a study in the journal Science on August 25, 2026 (DOI: 10.1126/science.adz6758), revealing that slow-moving mantle waves deep within the Earth played a crucial role in the early freezing of Antarctica 1. Collaborating institutions in this research include Durham University, the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, the University of Potsdam, Utrecht University, and the University of Florence 1. By reconstructing the surface evolution of East Antarctica over approximately 100 million years, the researchers discovered that these geological forces gradually uplifted the continent to form plateaus and mountains 1. This elevation reached a critical height for glacier development, allowing the East Antarctic ice sheet to form around 34 million years ago when the global climate was still relatively warm 1. In stark contrast, large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere did not begin to form until about 5 million years ago 1.
The study details that by roughly 45 million years ago, most of East Antarctica had already risen to a critical elevation of about 2 kilometers 1. For instance, the Gamburtsev Mountain Range was mostly below 1.5 kilometers 50 million years ago, but nearly half of it had ascended above 2 kilometers by 34 million years ago 1. Since temperatures can drop by up to 1ºC for every 100 meters of elevation gain, this significant uplift facilitated the large-scale glaciation 1. The subsequent formation of the ice sheet triggered an ice-albedo effect, which is estimated to have lowered global temperatures by approximately 1ºC 1. The researchers emphasize that these geological processes and climate feedbacks jointly shaped the origins of the ice age, explaining why Antarctica froze before the Arctic 1. Additionally, the study notes that a complete melt of the East Antarctic ice sheet could raise global sea levels by about 52 meters 1.
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