Posted on 06/10/2004 6:12:11 AM PDT by Nasty McPhilthy
Human impact delaying ice age, study finds
By CHRIS DOLMETSCH Bloomberg News Thursday, June 10, 2004
Earth's current climate may last for at least another 15,000 years, barring any effects from human intervention, according to a new study of Antarctic ice published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.
The British Antarctic Survey said scientists and engineers from 10 European countries collected cylinders of ice about 10 centimetres wide and three metres long from Dome C, a location on East Antarctica about 1,000 kilometres from the nearest research station, over the past eight years.
Analysis of the chemical composition and physical properties of the samples show the buildup of methane and carbon dioxide and how the Earth's atmosphere has changed over time, according to the report. Snowflakes collect atmospheric particles and trap pockets of air between crystals as ice forms.
Preliminary analysis of the ice samples show that the current concentration of carbon dioxide is the highest in the past 440,000 years, according to the study. That shows how humans have changed the composition of the air, said geologist Jerry McManus, an associate scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, who wrote an accompanying article.
"This study is not a global-warming study, but the context of understanding the linkage between greenhouse gases and climate is really strengthened by this ice core, and gives us once again pause to consider the implications of such dramatic changes as we've wrought," Dr. McManus said in an interview.
The planet's climate during the past 500,000 years has been characterized by cold periods, called glacials, lasting about 100,000 years, followed by warmer stretches, called interglacials, lasting about 10,000 years, according to the study.
Previous studies of Antarctic ice samples have found about four separate climate cycles in the past 430,000 years, the study says. The current interglacial cycle has lasted about 12,000 years.
About 430,000 years ago, the glacial periods began to lengthen and interglacials began to shorten, according to the study. The longest interglacial period in history, which began about that time, lasted about 28,000 years and strongly resembles the current stage, leading scientists to believe that another glacial period will begin in about 15,000 years.
"Eventually there will be an ice age coming and if we were still pumping [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere then we could think about preventing that ice age," said Eric Wolff of the British Antarctic Survey in a telephone interview.
"But we're predicting that an ice age won't come for another 15,000 years, and by then all the fossil fuels will be gone, so we won't still be pumping [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere."
The study may give more ammunition to those who say global warming is on the rise, Dr. McManus said, although it doesn't show what the future holds.
The study should give pause to critics of global-warming theories, Mr. Wolff said.
"If you're a greenhouse skeptic . . . then what you're looking for in the past is a time when carbon dioxide changed and temperature didn't change," he said. "The bad news is, we can't find any of them. So our expectation is that if you go into the future and keep pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the climate will warm. It's already 30 per cent higher than at any time in the last half-billion years."
Looks like we're Doooooomed no matter what we do!
Human impact delaying ice age,
You're welcome.
I studied the Ice Cubes in my Pepsi last night and discovered that they melt after a while, watering down my drink and allowing it to get warm. The tide raised in the glass but it never over ran the rim.
I thought these guy said global warming caused global cooling.
Doooomed.
If I keep driving my old SUV, South Dakota will become as warm as Florida and California and most of the left coast will be inundated. I like that idea.
Global Warming/Cooling is a cycle thats been identified as having happened multiple times in the past half million years.
But now that man is on the scene it's his fault.
Morons posing as scientists make dire predictions yet again in order to secure grant money to leach off the American people for another year. News at 11.
Did you know you can raise the "tide" of a glass of water to slightly above the rim of a glass, but adding one drop of alcohol (before raising the "tide") breaks the surface friction and will cause it to spill over?
Neat trick...
And what caused them to hit that level 440,000 years ago? I doubt it was all the SUVs that Homo habilis was driving back then...
Actually it's Bush's fault...
what about my ex-wifes new home in Boca??? I am sooo sad;0)
Doubt me? there are studies that show that CO2 level goes up after warmups, not before.
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