Page 53 - DK Children's Encyclopedia
P. 53
Under ice
For much of the last
two million years, huge ice
sheets covered large parts of
Northern Europe and North
America. We are currently
living in a warmer period.
Changing surface The Andes mountains
The Earth’s surface changes formed 45 million years ago.
constantly. As continents crash
together or move apart, mountain
ranges are forced up, then worn
down. Rainforests become icy
wastelands, oceans expand and
shrink, and glaciers turn
into deserts. Mammoths lived during
The Atlantic Ocean the last ice age.
was opening, pushing
North America and If the sea level today
Europe apart. was as high as it was
Africa was moving 500 million years ago,
northward, on its way to London, New York, and
crashing into Europe. Sydney would all be
underwater.
Climate change
Humans have a direct impact
on Earth’s climate. We burn
fossil fuels such as coal, oil,
and gas to make power.
This releases dangerous
gases into the air, making
Earth hotter.
80 million years ago Burning fossil fuels
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