# Malta geochemical records link Miocene Antarctic ice growth to stronger monsoon and higher productivity

- Published: 2026-11-07 20:35 UTC
- Section: Planet › Climate
- Tags: Middle Miocene Climate Transition, Antarctic Ice Sheet expansion, Malta geochemical records, sea-surface salinity, biological carbon pump, CO2 drawdown, Mesopotamian Seaway closure, precessional variations, monsoonal influence
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-7be54c16f6708c36c3e19491_malta_geochemical_records/

**Records from Malta show that after Antarctic Ice Sheet expansion in the Middle Miocene, salinity swung with precession and productivity rose. A link to global CO2 drawdown stays tentative.**

![Malta geochemical records link Miocene Antarctic ice growth to stronger monsoon and higher productivity](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/62c65f40637c7236.jpg)
*MANASA NANDIGAM, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

Researchers presented new geochemical records from Malta in Science Advances, covering the Middle Miocene expansion of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. This interval coincides with major sedimentological changes in Malta [1]. It also saw reorganisations in ocean circulation linked to closure of the Mesopotamian Seaway (MSR-events) and perturbations in the carbon cycle (CM events) [1].

The final carbon event, CM-6, slightly lags the main glacial phase. It remains difficult to interpret because of competing mechanisms and conflicting pCO2 reconstructions [1].

According to the records, cryospheric expansion was followed by large, precessionally paced variations in sea-surface salinity and a marked regional increase in biological productivity [1]. The authors interpret this as a shift toward stronger monsoonal influence, delivering enhanced freshwater and nutrient fluxes to the region [1].

They suggest that the enhanced local biological carbon pump may have acted as a positive feedback to a global CO2 drawdown. This contribution remains tentative and cannot be confirmed without contemporaneous high-resolution open-ocean records [1].

## Sources

1. [Science Advances](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec7963)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-7be54c16f6708c36c3e19491_malta_geochemical_records/