Around 700 million years ago, Earth experienced a dramatic and extreme climatic event known as the “Snowball Earth”. During this period, the planet was almost entirely covered in ice, from the poles to the equator. This glaciation event, known as the Sturtian glaciation, lasted for millions of years and is considered one of the most severe ice ages in Earth’s history.
The cause of this global freeze is believed to be a combination of factors, including volcanic activity that released large amounts of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which reflected sunlight and caused global temperatures to plummet. This period of extensive glaciation had significant impacts on the planet’s climate and life, setting the stage for future evolutionary developments.
