Yes. A 2026 study reports several kinds of geological evidence for repeated fires in a temperate, swampy forest near the Cretaceous South Pole, about 90 million years ago. The evidence comes from sediment cores in the Amundsen Sea area of West Antarctica; it points to relatively low-temperature surface fires, not necessarily towering, canopy-consuming infernos.
Where and when the ancient fires occurred
The evidence comes from an approximately 90-million-year-old sediment core from the Amundsen Sea area of West Antarctica, about 900 kilometres from the South Pole, according to the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). This was a very different landscape from the ice-covered continent today.
Pollen, spores, roots and forest-soil traces indicate that the site supported temperate forest and wetland vegetation. Northumbria University reports a reconstructed average annual temperature of around 12°C near the South Pole during this interval. That is a climate estimate inferred for the ancient setting, not a direct temperature measurement.
How researchers identified evidence of fire
No one witnessed these fires. Researchers infer them from traces preserved in the sediment, combining several lines of evidence rather than relying on charcoal alone. The 2026 study reports macro- and microcharcoal, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, maceral analysis, inertinite reflectance and charcoal morphology. Together, these indicators support the interpretation that fires repeatedly affected the ancient ecosystem.
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AWI also reports increasing microscopic charcoal in younger sediments and amber—fossil tree resin—associated with fire-damaged areas on trunks. These are preserved clues that researchers interpret in the context of the core; they are not a record of an observed fire event.
What kind of fires the evidence suggests
The authors interpret the combined evidence as frequent, low-temperature surface fires. That description matters: the findings do not establish giant crown fires or quantify how much forest burned in any one event. The available summary also does not identify the ignition source, give a fire count or establish a recurrence interval.
The study links recurrent burning and vegetation to the development of early Sphagnum peatlands. This is a reconstruction of how the ecosystem may have changed as forest and wetland conditions interacted with fire, not proof that the ancient landscape operated exactly like a modern one. The researchers note important differences in atmospheric conditions and plant communities.
How this finding differs from earlier Antarctic fire evidence
The 2026 West Antarctic result is not the first evidence of ancient fire from Antarctica. A separate 2023 study documented Late Cretaceous paleo-wildfire deposits on King George Island in the Antarctic Peninsula, associated with volcanic deposits. The two records concern different locations and evidence:
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute| Record | Location and age | Evidence and focus |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 study | Amundsen Sea area, West Antarctica; approximately 90 million years old | Sediment-core proxies, including charcoal and geochemical and petrographic indicators; researchers infer repeated low-temperature surface fires linked to early peatland development. |
| 2023 study | King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula; Late Cretaceous | Paleo-wildfire deposits associated with volcanic deposits. |
The 2026 study adds a distinct West Antarctic record near the Cretaceous South Pole; it should not be confused with the earlier Antarctic Peninsula deposits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the finding matters
The core preserves evidence of a high-latitude forest and peatland ecosystem in which fire was part of environmental change. By bringing charcoal, chemical signatures and microscopic material together, the study strengthens the case for recurrent fire at this particular site and connects that fire history with early Sphagnum peatlands. It does not, by itself, establish a single fire regime for all of ancient Antarctica.
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Read the primary study in Communications Earth & Environment, the AWI summary, and Northumbria University’s account. The earlier Antarctic Peninsula record is described in the 2023 Frontiers in Earth Science study.
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