Americas In
Alaska, the MPT caused a net mass loss in the
Saint Elias Mountains because the plate tectonic input of mass into this mountain range became exceeded by mass loss from glacial erosion. The
Loop Current decreased in strength, contributing to the cooling of the Northern Hemisphere.
Europe In Europe, the MPT was associated with the
Epivillafranchian-Galerian transition and may have led to the local extinction of, among other taxa,
Puma pardoides,
Megantereon whitei, and
Xenocyon lycaonoides. The prevalence of ungulates adapted for grazing increased in the Mediterranean region after the "0.9 Ma event". The northern North Sea Basin was first glaciated during the MPT. The increased intensity of transgressive-regressive cycles is recorded in northern
Italy.
Asia The cooling brought about by the MPT increased westerly aridity in the western
Tarim Basin. East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) precipitation declined.
Grasslands expanded across the
North China Plain as
forests contracted. During the MPT, the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) decreased in strength. In the middle of the MPT, there was a sudden decrease in
denitrification, likely due to increased solubility of oxygen during lengthened glacial periods. After the MPT, the
Bay of Bengal experienced increased stratification as a result of the strengthening of the ISM, which resulted in increased riverine flux, inhibiting mixing and creating a shallow
thermocline, with stratification being stronger during interstadials than stadials. Paradoxically, variability in Δδ18O in the Bay of Bengal between glacials and interglacials decreased following the MPT.
Africa In
Central Africa, detectable floral changes corresponding to glacial cycles were absent prior to the MPT. Following the MPT, a clear cyclicity became evident, with interglacials being characterised by warm and dry conditions while glacials were cool and humid.
Oceania In
Australia, the MPT resulted in the formation of the
dunes of
Fraser Island and the Cooloola Sand Mass. The increasing amplitude of sea level variations led to increased redistribution of sediments stored on the seafloor across the
continental shelf. The development of Fraser Island indirectly led to the formation of the
Great Barrier Reef by drastically decreasing the flow of sediment to the area of continental shelf north of Fraser Island, a necessary precondition for the growth of
coral reefs on such an enormous scale as found in the Great Barrier Reef. The MPT occurred amidst a longer-term cooling trend in sea surface temperatures (SSTs). In the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP), denitrification increased during interglacials while decreasing during glacials. Deep water coral growth in the Maui Nui Complex was enhanced by the high amplitude glacial cycles brought about by the MPT, while
Acropora disappeared from this reef complex. Benthic foraminiferal diversity in the EEP dropped.
Arctic Ocean A major faunal turnover occurred among
Arctic Ocean ostracods and benthic and
planktonic foraminifera. == Modeling and explanation ==