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Ancient Ice Reveals 2-2.5°C Ocean Cooling Factors

3/22/2026

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Story summary
  • Ocean temperatures cooled by 2 to 2.5°C over the last three million years, while greenhouse gases declined only modestly.
  • Studies of ancient Antarctic ice provide the evidence and suggest factors such as Earth's reflectivity, vegetation, and ocean circulation influenced cooling.
  • The National Science Foundation Center for Oldest Ice Exploration leads the research and aims to extend climate records further back in time.