The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes:
Flood, Fire, and Famine
in the History of Civilization
by Richard Firestone,
Allen West, and
Simon Warwick-Smith
Posted on 03/31/2010 11:05:52 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Scientists say they have found the trigger of a sharp cooling 13,000 years ago that plunged Europe into a mini ice age.
Mark Bateman from the University of Sheffield in England said a catastrophic flood unleashed from a giant North American lake dumped large amounts of freshwater into the Arctic Ocean.
This led to the shutting down of the Gulf Stream ocean circulation pattern that brings warmth to Europe.
"We're talking about a lake the size of the UK emptying very quickly," Bateman told Reuters by telephone. "We don't know the exact period of time but we're talking about a catastrophic flood."
The finding has confirmed past theories about the likely cause of a sudden cooling period called the Younger Dryas when temperatures in Europe, similar to today's, quickly returned to ice age conditions. The cooling lasted for about 1,400 years.
"Our research shows that if you put a large volume of fresh water into the North Atlantic in a very short space of time, this is what happens," Bateman said. His team's work is published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.
The Gulf Stream acts like a conveyer belt by bringing warm water from the tropics to Europe while cold salty water sinks to the depths in the far north. This "overturning" circulation draws in yet more warm water from the south.
Climate scientists fear rapid global warming could trigger a sharp increase in the amount of meltwater from Greenland. This surge in freshwater could trigger a tipping point that overwhelms the Gulf Stream, shutting it down and likely plunging Europe into another deep freeze.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
You can print almost anything these days, whether or not it has any truth to it is irrelevant. -Gore’s Law-
Strange and grating times, indeed.
I went looking around the web last night. I found a Spanish source talking about a cold snap 13K years ago. All my readings address a growing Ice Age that began 50K to 40K years ago and lasted until 10k years ago. They seem to be saying that we were leaving the ice age or left it and this pool of water took us back again.
It’s contrary to all I have read. This last ice age wiped out more than we know forcing the start or restart of civilization in Asia Minor 8,000 B.C.
I just don’t buy it.
Paul
****************************EXCERPT********************************
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.[1]
“I’m pretty sure there was a large one in eastern Washington, too.”
Yes. The Lake Missoula flood that ripped westward to the Pacific left huge channels, boulders, etc. the entire way. About once a month I have a nice view driving by a huge “ripple mark” - I imagine it is 100+ feet tall and several miles long!
And this flood he is talking about was not due to “rapid” melting. All of these glacial floods were the result of melting, but with an ice dam blocking the flow. The breakage of the dam was rapid, allowing a huge slug of freshwater to enter the ocean and screw up the equilibrium.
If for some reason that were to occur in Greenland, we could drill dam, allow water to flow at a regulated pace. And turn some turbines for hydroelectric at the same time!
The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes:
Flood, Fire, and Famine
in the History of Civilization
by Richard Firestone,
Allen West, and
Simon Warwick-Smith
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Gods |
Thanks NormsRevenge. |
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· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
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So....global warming could trigger a deep freeze. Got it.
Sunderland
(click here)
Blam, I can’t think of a nicer place to ride out an ice age than Sundaland.
My thoughts exactly.
Humans must have thrived there.
Are you thinking of the somethingorother scablands from Lake Missoula or something like that. Also, the last time I hear about Agazziz I thought they were saying 8,000 year ago. Actually, the theory I like best is still the one about the major boloid strike in the northern hemisphere about 13,000 years ago. Could have caused a major melt and north Atlantic flooding. Sunken Civ, time to post that book again. I don’t see the current risk of Gulf Stream slowing being caused by melting Greenland, but rather by melting polar ice upsetting the North Atlantic Deep Water. Yes, I know it was recently more widespread, but the ice itself has gotten much thinner in recent years.
Don’t forget that land has risen considerably since the Glaciers originally melted. Current altitudes are going to be higher that they were over 10,000 years ago. Scandinavia is still rising.
The last major ice age began about 125,000 years ago. When Toba erupted around 74,000 years ago there was a major drop in world temperature. Things moderated somewhat and then there were three additonal dips between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago. Then about 18,000 years ago things started to warm up again, but were short circuited by the events (in serious contention) that caused the Younger Dryas starting around 13,000 years ago.
I still will hold to the basics of elliptical earth orbit and sunspot activity as the main two contributors to our global warming and cooling.
In just the last few months, I witnessed the cooling and warming affects on area temperatures by jet streams as it did to the winter Olympic games. Now, they say the ocean currents are going to create severe hurricane seasons.
I don't think so. I think it will be half of Accuweather's forecast. The bottom line is we are slowly cooling. Variations will happen, but we are losing a 1/2 degree a year since 2000. The only correlation is sunspot activity and keeping an eye on the jet stream during the weather report.
Of other interests, now if it is not a great day at the beach or a sunny day on the golf course or baseball diamond, it is Extreme Weather. It is global warming causing the extreme weather. Since August, sunspot activity jumped from 4 sunspots a month to 18. It doesn't take much to get the rain going.
Thank you again for your comments.
Paul
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