Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Ancient Antarctic Wildfires Revealed in 90-Million-Year-Old Sediments
Antarctica is covered in ice today, but it was much warmer about 90 million years ago.
At that time, trees and rainforests grew there.
Scientists studied an underground core of old sediment from West Antarctica.
They found charcoal, which is left behind after plants burn.
They also found amber, or hardened tree resin, and spores from peat moss.
These clues show that fires happened repeatedly in the ancient Antarctic forest.
The burned wood came from soft conifer trees and burned at low temperatures.
Dinosaurs lived on the continent during this same period.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute.
Researchers found evidence of recurring wildfires in Antarctica about 90 million years ago.
The fires occurred when West Antarctica was covered by a lush rainforest and trees.
Evidence included charcoal, amber, and peat-moss spores preserved in a sediment core.
Charcoal analysis indicated low-temperature burning of soft conifer wood.
The findings represent the southernmost wildfires recorded on Earth, according to the study.
- Who
- Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, including co-author Johann Klages.
- What
- A study found evidence of recurring wildfires in Antarctica about 90 million years ago.
- When
- During the Late Cretaceous period, about 90 million years ago; the study was published on September 7, 2026.
- Where
- In a sediment core from the Amundsen Sea area of West Antarctica, about 900 kilometers from the South Pole.
- Why
- The fires occurred when Antarctica had a warm, forested environment; the article identifies thunderstorms as the trigger.
- Estimated fire age
- About 90 million years
- Geological period
- Late Cretaceous
- Evidence found
- Charcoal, amber, and peat-moss spores
- Burned material
- Soft conifer wood
- Burning conditions
- Low-temperature fires
- Research institution
- Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany
- Publication
- Communications Earth and Environment, September 7, 2026