{"id":27441,"date":"2025-02-26T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=media-release&#038;p=27441"},"modified":"2025-02-26T19:29:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T11:29:40","slug":"giant-ice-bulldozers-how-ancient-glaciers-helped-life-evolve","status":"publish","type":"media-release","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/media-release\/giant-ice-bulldozers-how-ancient-glaciers-helped-life-evolve\/","title":{"rendered":"Giant ice bulldozers: how ancient glaciers helped life evolve"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>New Â鶹ֱ²¥ research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth\u2019s surface and paving the way for complex life to flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By chemically analysing crystals in ancient rocks, the researchers discovered that as glaciers carved through the landscape, they scraped deep into the Earth\u2019s crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Giant ice bulldozers: how ancient glaciers helped life evolve\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zBliF_gz5I0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This process had a profound impact on our planet\u2019s composition, creating conditions that allowed complex life to evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead author Professor Chris Kirkland from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group within Curtin\u2019s Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions said the study provides valuable insights into how Earth\u2019s natural systems are deeply interconnected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen these giant ice sheets melted, they triggered enormous floods that flushed minerals and their chemicals, including uranium, into the oceans,\u201d Professor Kirkland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis influx of elements changed ocean chemistry, at a time when more complex life was starting to evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis study highlights how Earth\u2019s land, oceans, atmosphere and climate are intimately connected- where even ancient glacial activity set off chemical chain reactions that reshaped the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Kirkland said the study also offered a new perspective on modern climate change, showing how past shifts in Earth\u2019s climate triggered large-scale environmental transformations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis research is a stark reminder that while Earth itself will endure, the conditions that make it habitable can change dramatically,\u201d Professor Kirkland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese ancient climate shifts demonstrate that environmental changes, whether natural or human-driven, have profound and lasting impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnderstanding these past events can help us better predict how today\u2019s climate changes might reshape our world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth and St. Francis Xavier University, Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The full study, titled \u2018<em>The Neoproterozoic Glacial Broom,<\/em>\u2019 will be published in <em>Geology<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1130\/G52887.1\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1130\/G52887.1).<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Â鶹ֱ²¥ research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4307,"featured_media":27442,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"5762,5201,7067,5957,7691,6841","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_research-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,41],"tags":[],"research-areas":[],"class_list":["post-27441","media-release","type-media-release","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-science","category-environment"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"additional_content":{"title":"","content":"","image":false},"related_courses":[{"title":"","qualification":"","link":"","description":"","faculty":""}],"credits":{"author":"","photographer":"","media":[22646,24381]},"display_author":true,"banner":{"image":false}},"experts":false},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/RESIZED-FOR-WEB-P7190125-1000x500.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Lucien","last_name":"Wilkinson","display_name":"Lucien 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