Earth cooled dramatically from the end of the Paleocene until the Holocene. Describe some of the geological events that contributed to that cooling.

Between the Paleocene and Holocene epochs, Earth underwent significant cooling due to several geological events and processes. These include the formation of ice sheets, such as the Laurentide and Eurasian ice sheets, which increased the Earth's albedo and affected heat circulation. Plate tectonics, including the closure of the Tethys Sea, formation of the Panama Isthmus, and uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and Andes Mountains, also played crucial roles in altering ocean currents and heat distribution. Volcanic activity contributed to short-lived cooling periods known as "volcanic winters." Finally, a decrease in atmospheric CO2 levels during the Cenozoic Era led to reduced greenhouse effect, further contributing to the overall cooling trend from the Paleocene to the Holocene.