Why did falling sea levels expose the land route known as Beringia?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The land route known as Beringia was exposed because of the significant drop in global sea levels that occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch, particularly during periods of maximum glaciation.12

During these glacial stages, vast quantities of Earth's water were trapped in massive [continental ice sheets]. As a result, global sea levels fell by as much as 400 feet (120 metres), which caused large areas of the continental shelves to emerge as dry land. This process transformed the seafloor of the Bering Strait into a land bridge that connected northeastern Asia with northwestern North America.4123

This exposed region, known as Beringia, provided a dry, tundra-like environment that allowed for the migration of plants, animals, and humans between the two continents. As the climate warmed and glaciers melted, sea levels rose again, eventually submerging the land bridge and severing the connection.12