Using advanced seismic technology, researchers revealed Ice Age features hidden beneath layers of sediment. These landforms, dating back approximately 1 million years, were formed when a massive ice sheet, centered in Norway, extended toward the British Isles. This period coincides with the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, a time of global cooling that reshaped climate patterns worldwide.

The findings have significant implications for understanding how past ice sheets responded to climatic shifts and could improve predictions about current ice sheet behavior under modern climate warming. However, identifying these ancient landforms has historically been difficult due to their burial under thick sediment layers.

Dr. Christine Batchelor, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at Newcastle University, helped lead the study. "To fully understand the linkages between ice sheets and climate, we need to study how past ice sheets responded to long-term changes in climate," said Dr. Batchelor. "Using modern seismic data, our results suggest that ice sheets in northwest Europe expanded significantly in response to climate cooling about 1 million years ago."

Lead author Dr. Dag Ottesen, from the Geological Survey of Norway, emphasized the role of 3D seismic data in this research. "This study was made possible by the availability of 3D seismic data from the North Sea, which allowed us to examine the buried landforms in striking detail," he explained.

Originally developed for assessing sediment suitability for oil, gas, and renewable infrastructure, 3D seismic technology proved invaluable for exploring glacial features. The research identified streamlined landforms carved by ice sheets and ridges marking ice retreat. Despite their age, these features closely resemble those formed by more recent ice sheets, providing insights into ice sheet retreat mechanisms.

The researchers concluded that the ice sheet retreated rapidly, likely through lift-off and flotation of its frontal margin. Additionally, the team identified older, elongated furrows on the former seabed, attributed to strong ocean currents predating the ice sheet's advance. This new interpretation challenges earlier theories labeling these features as glacial landforms.

"With our high-resolution data, we can see that the shape and size of the furrows is consistent with an origin as ocean current furrows," noted Dr. Ottesen. "This differs from previous interpretations of these features as glacial landforms, re-writing our understanding of North Sea glacial history."

The findings illuminate the North Sea's geological evolution, revealing that strong ocean currents dominated the region before ice sheets took hold around 1 million years ago. While the study provides a detailed view of the buried landforms, researchers acknowledge a need for more precise age data to fully understand their formation.

"A wealth of seismic data are now available for the North Sea," said Dr. Batchelor. "The next step is to acquire long sediment cores that can allow researchers to better understand the timing of glacial events."

Research Report:3D seismic evidence for a single Early Pleistocene glaciation of the central North Sea

Related Links
Newcastle University
Beyond the Ice Age