Carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere are not only creating global warming but are disrupting the earth’s environmental cycle. Ice ages occur very rarely in the earths history but it is essential to the earths environmental cycle. According to a study done at Cambridge University, University College London, the University of Florida and Norway’s University of Bergen, the high levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere has disrupted this cycle and the next ice age is delayed to at least 1500 years
An Ice Age is a period of time where the earth’s temperature is consistently low resulting in ice sheets and glaciers. Long-term reduction in the earth’s surface temperature and atmospheric temperature creates ice sheets and glaciers. The glaciers reflect the suns energy and absorb less energy. Earth is currently in an interglacial period, warm period, for 10,000 to 15,000 years.
The study was conducted at Cambridge University, University College London, the University of Florida and Norway’s University of Bergen; they used rock samples and information about the variations in the earths orbit. Through research they figured out that the next ice age will not be until 1500 years. However, it will only occur in the next 1500 years if carbon dioxide emissions do not exceed 240 ppmv and we are currently at 390 ppmv. Carbon Dioxide emissions are rising not decreasing so the next ice age might be delayed longer than 1500 years if we do not reduce carbon emissions.
Other Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide_emission
sweetasglucose
1,500 years doesn’t seem very long, but it is true we will be LONG gone. To me global warming is such a confusing topic. There are so many different scientist and scholars who have different ideas on what global warming is leading to. I found an article that talks about the next ice age being further away because of global warming. If this really does turn out to be correct, we could be helping our future generation avoid and ice age. However, they’ll still die from the build up of green house gases. Anyway, here is the link: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/-Global-Warming-Could-Delay-Next-Ice-Age-137029543.html I would check it out. It’s pretty interesting.