Study Finds Massive Glaciers Once Covered Earth to the Equator

Washington, 17 Nov (ONA)--- A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder reveals compelling evidence that massive glaciers once stretched to the equator, supporting the Snowball Earth theory.

This theory suggests that between 720 and 635 million years ago, Earth underwent a dramatic climate shift, causing ice sheets miles thick to cover the planet.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined rocks in Colorado’s Front Range, where sandstones known as Tavakaiv sandstones showed signs of being buried by glaciers.

These findings provide the first physical evidence that glaciers reached the heart of continents near the equator.

The researchers used advanced dating techniques to determine that the rocks were likely compressed underground between 690 and 660 million years ago, during the glacial period.

This discovery could help scientists understand not only Earth's geological history, but also the evolution of life, as the thawing of Snowball Earth may have triggered the emergence of multicellular organisms.

Although the full extent of the global freeze remains debated, this new evidence from Colorado supports the idea that glaciers may have formed across the entire planet, helping to unlock a critical period in Earth's climate and biological evolution.