How long before polar ice caps melt completely?

Question

It's obvious temperatures are warming up all around. I'm not sure if it's the earths natural cycle making temps warmer or us causing it, but either way it's happening. It is said, once all the ice in the world melts, we will enter another ice age. Does anybody know in how long this so called ice age will come about?

Answer 1

It'll take many years. Probably over 9000.

Answer 2

While the International Panel on Climate Change 2001 report predicted that the North polar ice cap would last to 2100 in spite of global warming caused by climate change, the dramatic reduction in the size of the ice cap during the northern summer of 2007 has led some scientists to estimate that there will be no ice at the North Pole by 2030 with devastating effects on the environment. As far as Antarctica, it's huge and there is no estimation, but affects from global warming are massively affecting it.

Answer 3

its not totally known. when there is too much freshwater that enters the oceans, it slows the currents down and thus the climate. seasons slow down and the earth cools. we dont know how much of the caps need to melt for this effect to take place. we do know that the last ice age most likely occured when a glacier holding freshwater in what is now the hudson bay in northern canada melted. when the glacier became too thin, it gave way, much like a levy does. the hudson bay went from a lake to a bay, displacing countless millions of gallons of freshwater into the oceans, making a very quick ice age. i dont think we will lose all the ice in antarctica, but we will probably lose all in the north pole. 2% of all water on earth is freshwater and roughly 50% of that is locked in ice. it doesnt seem to take much freshwater in comparison to saltwater to really s***w up this planet. I would also suggest to you to look into the "polar flip" theory. You might get some 'ice age' answers from that as well. Also keep in mind that the average ocean temperature is still on a cooling trend. the oceans is the air conditioning system of the earth. global warming wont take into effect until the ocean temps rise. when we begin the global warming trend, it might take anywhere from a hundred years to many thousands of years before the next ice age. I hope this helps!

Answer 4

Get back to living life. If we all go green in the United States tomorrow, the rest of the world is not. So have fun, enjoy life, and do what you can to help, but don't go crazy over it. Remember back in the 70's? Time magizine had "THE COMING ICE AGE".  So don't believe the media at face value...

If the ice caps really do melt, we go surfing. Or we (humans) go away. It's not a bad thing.

Answer 5

are you kidding? They'll be there forever and ever.