Giant ice mountains on the other side of Earth once dictated Australia's climate—new study

Phys · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 06, 2026 · 846 words · By Himadri Saini; Laurie Menviel

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What to know about Giant ice mountains on the other side of Earth once dictated Australia's climate—new study

A new study published in Climate of the Past suggests that massive ice sheets in North America during the last ice age influenced Australia's climate by redirecting global wind patterns. Researchers used climate model experiments to demonstrate how the height of these ice sheets shifted tropical rainfall belts, increasing summer rainfall in Australia.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Giant ice mountains on the other side of Earth once dictated Australia's climate—new study Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor During the most recent ice age, much of North America disappeared beneath ice sheets several kilometers thick.

Why it matters

These frozen giants covered most of present-day Canada and parts of the northern United States, while smaller ones spread across northern Europe.

Common ground

They dominated the landscape for thousands of years, storing so much water that global sea level fell dramatically.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Giant ice mountains on the other side of Earth once dictated Australia's climate—new study?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In our new study, published in Climate of the Past, we show they could, despite the ice never reaching Australia?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-giant-ice-mountains-side-earth.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 9

schedule Pending 6

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “In our new study, published in Climate of the Past, we show they could, despite the ice never reaching Australia.”

CORROBORATED

The existence of a study in 'Climate of the Past' showing that Northern Hemisphere ice sheets influenced Australia's climate is confirmed by multiple web search results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat waves included severe heat waves that impacted most of the United States, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Hong Kong, North Africa and the European continent as a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Northern_Hemisphere_heat_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth which is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Oce…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Hemisphere

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Last Glacial Maximum refugia were places (refugia) in which humans and other species survived during the Last Glacial Period, around 25,000 to 18,000 years ago. Glacial refugia are areas where climate…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Glacial_Maximum_refugia

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “This southward shift also reduced rainfall in parts of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, while increasing summer rainfall across much of Australia.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “At the same time, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were very low”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported in 'The Conversation' and supported by general scientific consensus in web results that low greenhouse gas concentrations (CO2) are associated with cooler glacial periods.

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web search NEUTRAL — It will be seen that there is no correlation whatsoever between carbon dioxide concentration and the temperature at the earth’s surface. During the latter part of the Carboniferous, the Permian and th…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/06/04/dr-vincent-gray-on-hi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ancient Micrometeorites Estimates for the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 3.8–2.5 billion years ago were based on paleosols (soils preserved by burial underneath sediments or volcanic deposits)…
https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/todays-new-reason-to-belie…

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web search NEUTRAL — Over the past 650,000 years, low greenhouse gas concentrations have been associated with cooler conditions. The current concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, at 380 parts-per-million, is the hi…
https://news.mongabay.com/2005/11/atmospheric-carbon-dioxide…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 4: “Himadri Saini et al, The influence of glacial Northern Hemisphere ice sheets on atmospheric circulation, Climate of the Past (2026). DOI: 10.5194/cp-22-1457-2026”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “the height of the North American ice sheets that produced the biggest changes in atmospheric circulation.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 6: “They shifted North Atlantic storms southward and influenced rainfall across Europe.”

CORROBORATED

The specific claim regarding the southward shift of North Atlantic storms and influence on European rainfall is reported by 'The Conversation' and a corresponding web search result.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about 85,133,000 square kilometers (32,870,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24%…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena, all of which were formerly classified as a single species. Be…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_right_whale

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54°N, or may…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Europe

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “The giant ice sheets in North America were not yet as large as when they reached their peak around 21,000 years ago”

CORROBORATED

The peak of the last ice age around 21,000 years ago is confirmed by 'The Conversation', 'HISTORY', and other web search results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Cari…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Indigenous peoples of the Americas, also called Indians, Amerindians, or simply Natives, are the peoples who are native to the Americas or the Western Hemisphere. Their ancestors are among the pre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Amer…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — For the majority of cities in North America (including the Caribbean), the most recent official population census results, estimates or short-term projections date to 2020, with some dating 2022 at th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_cities_…

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Their bright surfaces reflected more sunlight back into space, cooling the planet.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Australia and New Guinea were joined into a single landmass called Sahul”

CORROBORATED

Although the specific 'Evidence for claim 8' section was empty, the evidence provided for claim 7 (Xinhua) explicitly states that the sea level drop joined 'Australia and New Guinea into a single landmass known as Sahul'.

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Claim 10: “Our study focuses on a climate 49,000 years ago during the last ice age”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly link the study by Saini et al. to a climate from 49,000 years ago.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Flora Saini, also known by her screen name Asha Saini or Mayuri, is an Indian actress and model. She predominantly works in Telugu and Hindi films, and has also appeared in a number of Kannada and Tam…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_Saini

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nayab Singh Saini (born 25 January 1970) is an Indian politician serving as the chief minister of Haryana from 2024. Saini is one of the top leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana. Saini …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayab_Singh_Saini

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saini () is a farming and landowning caste of northern India. The community is given representation in government jobs and educational institutes as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the states of Utta…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saini

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “They also stood several kilometers high”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 12: “During the most recent ice age, much of North America disappeared beneath ice sheets several kilometers thick.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is explicitly stated in both 'The Conversation' and a web search result, and the general fact of massive ice sheets in North America is supported by general geological context in other search results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — British North America comprised the colonial territories of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th centu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_North_America

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+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “many islands across Southeast Asia merged into another large landmass called Sunda.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results specifically mentioning the landmass 'Sunda' or the merging of Southeast Asian islands.

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Claim 14: “As more water from the oceans became locked away as ice on land, sea levels fell by around 60 meters (197 feet)”

CORROBORATED

The specific figure of a 60-meter sea level drop is reported by 'The Conversation' and multiple web search results (including Xinhua).

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web search NEUTRAL — This water storage led to a significant drop in global sea levels. During glacial maxima, known as the Last Glacial Maximum, which occurred around 20,000 years ago, sea levels dropped by approximately…
https://www.vaia.com/en-us/textbooks/geography/earth-portrai…

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web search NEUTRAL — During the most recent ice age, much of North America disappeared beneath ice sheets several kilometres thick.As more water from the oceans became locked away as ice on land, sea levels fell by around…
https://theconversation.com/giant-ice-mountains-on-the-other…

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web search NEUTRAL — As more water from the oceans became locked away as ice on land, sea levels fell by around 60 meters, exposing underwater landscapes, joining Australia and New Guinea into a single landmass known as S…
https://english.news.cn/20260810/c8cb1e8d5c934c70a56a1f43671…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 15: “shifting the tropical rainfall belt southward and strengthening the circulation that drives Australia's summer monsoon.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 16: “These frozen giants covered most of present-day Canada and parts of the northern United States, while smaller ones spread across northern Europe.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including 'The Conversation', 'News24', and a web search result, confirm that ice sheets covered most of Canada, parts of the northern US, and northern Europe.

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web search NEUTRAL — During the last ice age, the Laurentide Ice Sheet once covered most of Canada and parts of the northern United States with a frozen crust that in some places was three kilometres thick.
https://www.news24.com/the-flood-that-cooled-the-earth-20080…

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web search NEUTRAL — During the most recent ice age, much of North America disappeared beneath ice sheets several kilometres thick. These frozen giants covered most of present-day Canada and parts of the northern United S…
https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/08/giant-ice-moun…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Pleistocene Epoch is best known for extensive ice sheets and glaciers on landmasses and is informally called the Great Ice Age. The start of the Pleistocene is marked by the base of the Gelasian S…
https://www.britannica.com/science/Pleistocene-Epoch

+ 1 more evidence source

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.