Research progress on environmental effects of the Cryogenian global glaciation

The Cryogenian global glaciation events are Earth's most extreme icehouse climate. During these glaciations, ice sheets extended to the equatorial region. It is suggested that the ocean was completely frozen and suffered from widespread marine anoxia, which delayed biological evolution. After the end of the glaciation, atmospheric oxygen levels significantly increased, leading to deep-ocean oxidation and the diversification of multicellular algae in the early Ediacaran. Obviously, the Cryogenian global glacial event was an important turning point in the evolution of the Earth system. Understanding how the glaciations altered the environment is the key to understanding biological evolution, and the habitable environment of the Ediacaran Period. The present paper provides a summary of recent research progress in the areas of climate hypothesis, glacial sedimentation characteristics, ocean redox conditions, and post-glacial atmospheric and marine environment drastic changes during the global glacial period. It also briefly analyzes the existing problems in global glacial research and proposes future research directions.