Is it possible that the Sun has a cyclical pattern to it and could we now determine how much time lapses...?

Question

...between when the ice caps on Earth melt? Between ice ages?

Answer 1

Well, it is possible because the sun does exhibit cyclic patterns.

Sun spots and solar flares occur in cycles.  However, the cycles (11 years) for sun spots is not long enough to account for the ice ages.  Ice ages are much further apart in time.

Sun spot activity is at a low right now.  The next peak (solar maximum) is around 2012.  So it would be hard to make a case for the sun spots affecting any current melting of the ice caps.

That's not to say that there is not some other cycle of the sun, of which we are not aware, that could be a factor in the timing of ice ages or melting of the ice caps.

More info at:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/...