13 replies to this topic

[Saru]

If climate change continues then the Antarctic could be transformed in to a lush forest zone.

Telegraph said:

Scientists have discovered plants similar to palm trees growing in the Antarctic region during the early Eocene era, when the area had a near-tropical climate.

Read more...

[Junior Chubb]

and if climate change goes the other way we could be snowboarding in the Sahara

Considering this article is based on the continuation of climate change its just stating the obvious, or did I miss something?

[King Fluffs]

Just think of the penguins!11!1

[King Fluffs]

Just think of the penguins!11!1

[Jaygatz]

Yeah this is really no big surprise.  I live in Yukon territory in Canada, and they have found fossilized palm trees here.  Not to sure in my opinion that the climate was ever like that here, but maybe it was, could have also been the drifting of the continents aswell, places werent in the same spot they are now.  
Just sayin.

[Skithia]

Early Eocene was about 55 million years ago - were the continents in the places they are now? Continental drift theory has that Antartica used to be nearer the equator at some point in the past.

[OverSword]

So we shouldn't worry about the loss of rain forest in Brazil because soon we will have a brand spankin new one in Antarctica.

[Sundew]

Before these people worry about "palm trees" growing in the Antarctic, they might want to see if they can even get conifers from the Arctic to even live there. My understanding is that there are only two higher plants that live in Antarctica, once species of grass and one plant from the daisy family, and they only grow in the warmest coastal areas.

More global warming alarmism. Many things could happen, we may have another ice age, who knows.

[Device]

I'd like to see it just stay as snow, to be honest. A vast wilderness of snow.

[Andami]

Edit: I actually take that back. Apparently the continents were near their current positions 55 mya. My bad.

Edited by Andami, 02 August 2012 - 10:29 PM.

[jules99]

Andami, on 02 August 2012 - 10:24 PM, said:

Edit: I actually take that back. Apparently the continents were near their current positions 55 mya. My bad.

Well; yeah I was about to say the same....   and its hinted at in the article;

"The research found winters were an “extremely mild” 10C, with warm summer temperatures up to 21C, and were “essentially frost-free despite polar darkness”.

[3.0]

Who plants the first tree?

[csspwns]

RIP penguins

[keithisco]

One thing that is not clear here "in the Antarctic Region" means nothing at all. Just what  and where is this region? "Palm Like " trees? do not confuse this with Tropical Palm trees that we know of, because the earliest trees were all "Palm Like" no matter where they grew.

One thing that is not in doubt, is the higher levels of CO2 in the Eocene period, levels that may be returning. Human society is not prepared, or even able to react to this scenario, no matter how advanced they may think they are.