In school we were taught about the different Ice Ages, What caused global warming to melt them?

Question

I kinda like warm weather, don't you?

Answer 1

Bob,

Milankovitch cycles are changes in the Earth's orbit and axial tilt, NOT solar radiation.

However, another possible explanation for the glacial/interglacial cycle is changes in the sun's output, and here is a little information about it: http://www.unisci.com/stories/20022/0606...

What causes the ice ages (which is what we are in now)? Well, it is believed that overall conditions have to be conducive to an ice age--ocean circulation, air currents, continental position, etc. Some believe that this current ice age started with the lifting (among many other things) of the Tibetan Plateau--change in air currents, and weathering may have caused a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases. Also the shift in continental position--Antarctica at south pole, etc

Answer 2

theres no such thing as global warming just to tell u we JUST came out of an ice age [i no it doesnt seem like it ]and the earth warming is a natural process and bush and al gore just say those things just to scam money out of u [ carbon credits ]so theyre like million aires  

c02 [carbon dioxide ]warms the earth

too much and itll cook but too little and itll freese.

right now because of cars theres lots of carbon dioxide in the air which is what makes it warm right now.

Answer 3

- changing continental positions

- uplift of continental blocks

- reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere

- changes in the Earth's orbit

http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/i...

The Big Chill

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ice/chill.h...

"Although the exact causes for ice ages, and the glacial cycles within them, have not been proven, they are most likely the result of a complicated dynamic interaction between such things as solar output, distance of the Earth from the sun, position and height of the continents, ocean circulation, and the composition of the atmosphere."

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The contributing factors may be slightly different for the glaciations occuring at intervals of 41,000 years, 85,000 and 115,000 years:

He says his carbon dioxide feedback hypothesis explains why the strongest cycles of ice response are not in correspondence with those in the orbital cycles.

Ruddiman concludes (as Milankovitch proposed) that ice sheets are initially driven by the Sun, but then the ice takes control of carbon dioxide changes, producing its own positive feedback (the amplifying effect) at the 41,000-year cycle.

Ice build-up continued until unusually large solar radiation peaks triggered rapid melting at intervals of 85,000 to 115,000 years. Although solar radiation peaks were the initial trigger for these melting episodes, most of the ice was removed by feedbacks in the climate system, and CO2 feedback was the largest of these.

"The origin of the ice-age cycles has been a major mystery in studies of past climates, and some scientists felt the answer must be very complex," Ruddiman said. "Yet this hypothesis is quite simple, requiring only the Sun, the carbon dioxide feedback, and a gradual cooling. The prominent role proposed for carbon dioxide is consistent with its likely effect on future climate."

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/New_Co...

Note that every case involves carbon dioxide warming, either as a positive feedback, or as a driving force.  

I'd be interested to see any exceptions, although one or two interesting cases (cooling due to an asteroid impact perhaps) wouldn't make all of the historical examples of CO2 warming go away.

Answer 4

Read these two links to find out the truth.

http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Refere...

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/su...

Answer 5

there is no such thing as global warming ! the lord did what he wanted. every thing runs in cycles.

Answer 6

there are numerous reason:

1. Earth changes rotation, it warbles, exposing a pole to the sun, making the ice melt

2. Huge clouds of dust covering the atmosphere, from big meteorites and volcanoes, change climate

3. Distance to sun changes

4. Gases produced by natural or man made processes filter sunlight differently

5. Huge ocean currents, like the famous gulf stream stop or change direction

6. Glaciers can reflect sunlight and add to ice age

One process can start a chain reaction and climate can change very fast, or it can take 1000's of years.

Answer 7

God created h**l at this time and placed it around the north pole, which melted the ice.

Answer 8

Changes in solar radiation called "Milankovic cycles".

How do we know it's not that now?  Simple, we measure the Sun.  That's not what's happening.

Answer 9

global warming is a bad religion

Answer 10

...i think water vapor and deforestation caused global warming to melt them.....water vapor is the most prevalent and most poweful greenhouse gas on the planet,.. but its increasing presence is the result of warming caused by carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases....

Because the air is warmer, the relative humidity can be higher (in essence, the air is able to 'hold' more water when its warmer), leading to more water vapor in the atmosphere.

(deforestation)

...The destroying of tropical forests alone is throwing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year...

...greenhouse gasses...

-carbon dioxide

-methane

-Nitrous oxide

...Carbon in Atmosphere and Ocean

The atmosphere contains about 750 billion tons of carbon, while 1020 billion tons are dissolved in the surface layers of the world's ocean.....                      

Also:

Forests                     610 billion tons of Carbon

Soils                       1580    "        "            "

Deep Ocean         38100    "        "            "