How did lower sea levels during the last Pleistocene glacial period expose continental shelves?

During the Pleistocene Epoch, the growth of massive continental ice sheets significantly lowered global sea levels because the ocean served as the primary source for the water that formed this glacial ice. As water was sequestered on land in the form of ice, global sea levels dropped—at times by more than 100 metres (328 feet)—which caused the shoreline to retreat seaward.12

This reduction in sea level exposed vast areas of the continental shelves that are submerged today. Once exposed, these shelves became part of the terrestrial landscape, subject to weathering, soil formation, and fluvial and eolian activity. In some regions, such as the Bering Shelf, this exposure created land bridges that connected continents, facilitating the migration of animals and early humans. When the ice sheets eventually melted, the resulting rise in sea level submerged these coastal environments, leaving them as they are found in the modern era.23