15. Historical Baseline: How Unprecedented Is This?
Paleoclimate data and ice core studies provide a long-term context for Antarctica’s greening. Research published in Science shows that current moss growth rates are unprecedented in the past several millennia. While there were warmer periods in the distant past, the speed and extent of today’s plant expansion far exceed natural variability seen in modern times. This rapid shift is a clear signal of human-driven climate change, not a return to ancient conditions.