User:Mscoree/Antarctic Meltdown (Great White South)

The Antarctic Meltdown refers to a still unexplained natural event that occurred approximately 20,000 years ago, around the end of the last ice age, which caused the southern hemisphere to warm up, causing the continent of Antarctica to begin to warm, melting its large-scale ice caps and remaining ice free since.

Scientists believe following this event the continent of Antarctica was transformed from a barren wasteland to the familiar tundra similar to the climates of Alaska, Iceland, Northern Scandinavia, and Siberia. Since this event ice has continued to cover the region around the south pole, and a small-scale icecap does continue to exist on the continent that dates back to the days of the continent’s early form.

Despite remaining very cold and dark for thousands of years after this event, the continent would eventually become habitable for humans, who began to arrive around 10,000 years ago. The event would also allow for Antarctica to support farming and crop growing in the most northerly areas and extensive fishing in the seas surrounding the continent by humans.