High-elevation rock surfaces in Antarctica have some of the oldest cosmogenic-nuclide exposure ages on Earth, dating back to the Miocene. A compilation of all available ³He, ¹⁰Be, and ²¹Ne exposure-age data from the Antarctic continent shows that exposure histories recorded by these surfaces extend back to, but not before, the mid-Miocene cooling at 14–15 Ma. At high elevation, this cooling entailed a transition between a climate in which liquid water and biota were present and could contribute to surface weathering and erosion, and a polar desert climate in which virtually all weathering and erosion processes had been shut off. This climate appears to have continued uninterrupted between the mid-Miocene and the present.

中文翻译：

---

来自整个南极洲的暴露年龄数据揭示了中新世中期建立的极地沙漠气候

南极洲的高海拔岩石表面具有地球上最古老的宇宙成因核素暴露年龄，其历史可以追溯到中新世。来自南极大陆的所有可用的³ He，¹⁰ Be和²¹ Ne暴露年龄数据的汇总显示，这些表面记录的暴露历史可追溯到中新世中期14-15 Ma冷却，但不早于此。在高海拔地区，这种冷却需要在存在液态水和生物区系的气候之间过渡，并且可能导致地表风化和侵蚀，而实际上是所有风化和侵蚀过程都已被关闭的极地沙漠气候。在中新世中期到现在之间，这种气候似乎一直没有间断。