The NIU Geology Department has been involved
in Antarctic research for four decades now.
What makes this kind of study very important and relevant is the idea that as ice retreats, seal level rises.
So much of the world's population 
lives near the coastline.
Sea level is rising today and we need to have
some realistic forecast of what it may do in the future.
The new reconstruction of the ice sheet during
this time, about 3 million years ago, was a
result of some earlier modeling study.
What we find is that the fossils that have
been documented on the surface of these glacial
deposits indicate that the Antarctic ice sheet
was significantly smaller, not completely
in collapse, there was still lots and lots of ice.
However, it was a retreat from the coastline
of ice that currently comes to the coastline,
retreated back 300 miles or so leaving some
area exposed where these fossils could be
living in this new embayment, sinking to the
bottom, then getting exposed to the surface,
picked up by the wind, and carried 
and deposited on the mountain front.
Studies like this show that pretty dramatic changes in sea level can take place on human timescales.
It is currently rising now.
The question is, is that rise going to be
accelerated over the coming half century,
century, and several centuries?
Do we really want to wait until no one can
deny it anymore because if we were to cut
back on our carbon dioxide output now that
will decelerate, it won't stop the retreat
of ice, but it will decelerate it.
Isn't that worthy of paying attention to?
