QUESTION:
I'm wondering if Antarctica was ever warm like Mexico or 
has it always been frozen over.

        My name is Wade B..I go to Peacham Elementary School. 
        I'm in 5th grade and 4th, 5th and 6th watch your shows. 
        Peacham, VT.
 
ANSWER from Scott Borg, Program Director, Antarctic Geology & Geophysics Program
            National Science Foundation
            Mon, 24 Feb 1997 08:25:27 -0500


Dear Wade, 

Antarctic has not always been frozen over!

Geologists know that Antarctica has been in a near polar position for about
100 million years but that until about 40 million years ago it had no major
ice sheets that persisted for long times.  There is evidence of some
glaciers from time to time however.  There is abundant evidence (fossil
plants, bones, shells etc) that between 250 and about 75 million years ago
there were forests and lakes and seashores that were populated by diverse
groups of creatures.  Forests are known from many fossils but in a very few
places, there are groups of fossil tree stumps in growth position that show
without doubt that stands of trees existed quite happily.  During this time,
Antarctica was connected to other continents that are now spread out over
the southern hemisphere.  The "supercontinent" made of all the southern
continents was called Gondwana (some say Gondwanaland, both terms are
acceptable).  Gondwana was the southern part of a larger continent called
Pangea. The fossils from Antarctica do not indicate a tropical climate 
like Mexico but rather a temperate climate like the southern half of 
South America or like the central and northern US.

Thanks for your question.

Scott Borg