The continent of Antarctica is currently 98% covered by two connected continental-scale ice sheets plus smaller ice caps and glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula. The history and behavior of the two large ice sheets, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) (Figure A15) have had a major influence on Earth’s past climate. The waxing and waning of Antarctica’s ice sheets are strongly tied to global sea levels and climate change, ocean circulation patterns, Earth’s albedo and life on the planet.
Antarctic place names along with ice shelves shown in gray. WAIS, West Antarctic Ice Sheet; EAIS, East Antarctic Ice Sheet; AP, Antarctic Peninsula; PB, Prydz Bay; TAM, Transantarctic Mountains; CRP, Cape Roberts Project site; PIB, Pine Island Bay.
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Licht, K. (2009). Antarctic Glaciation History. In: Gornitz, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_9
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