The enigma of Oligocene climate and global surface temperature evolution

Abstract

Significance During the Eocene, high-latitude regions were much warmer than today and substantial polar ice sheets were lacking. Indeed, the initiation of significant polar ice sheets near the end of the Eocene has been closely linked to global cooling. Here, we examine the relationship between global temperatures and continental-scale polar ice sheets following the establishment of ice sheets on Antarctica ∼34 million years ago, using records of surface temperatures from around the world. We find that high-latitude temperatures were almost as warm after the initiation of Antarctic glaciation as before, challenging our basic understanding of how climate works, and of the development of climate and ice volume through time.