Why are ocean floors considered more suitable for studying long-term changes in ice sheet size than continental locations?

The suitability of ocean floors for studying long-term changes in ice sheet size largely stems from the fact that they provide more continuous and complete climate records. When sediment layers accumulate on the ocean floor, they preserve a consistent and unbroken history of environmental changes over time, which includes indicators of ice sheet dynamics. These sediments can trap various proxies, like microfossils and chemical signatures, that reflect past climate conditions and ice sheet extents.

In contrast, continental records tend to be more fragmented and discontinuous due to factors such as erosion, glaciation events, and human activities that can disrupt the layers of sediment or rock that might offer historical climate data. Such disturbances make it challenging to compile a coherent timeline of changes in ice sheet size.

Thus, while it is true that ocean floors provide a more stable setting for preserving continuous records, the focus on the continuity and completeness of these climate records highlights why they are deemed more suitable for studying long-term changes in ice sheet sizes.