One interesting fact that I learned three years ago about global warming is that it can actually increase the chance of there being a global cooling period, known as a little ice age. However, before I did not really understand this at all honestly. I wrote about it in my paper without the least bit of true understanding. However, I have recently found how this type of event could occur.
First of all, to understand how global warming could cause a little ice age, we first need to look at how the little ice age could happen. One way that an ice age could happen is by the ocean currents being distorted or destroyed, mainly the Gulf Stream. The Gulf stream is part of what keeps North America and Europe nice and toasty. So without if the current is destroyed, there will be a great decrease in temperature.
So how does global warming affect this? Well by melting the polar ice caps, cold freshwater is let in to the ocean. If this change reached the Gulf Stream, the changes of temperature and concentration of the salt water in the current is expected to distort the current. If this happens then one of the things keeping us warm will change, probably for the worst (as in making us cold). The affects could do anything from a full on ice age to another little ice age as what happened from around the 14th to 19th centuries. Personally I think the little ice age is more probable, if either is to happen at all, but I don't think it will be anything that we won't be able to manage.
So as for my title question, the answer is maybe. At this point such an event is impossible to predict. However, it remains a possibility.
Sources used:
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0130-11.htm
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The logic behind this post seems polar opposite from the main arguments I have been hearing about global warming in regards to the glaciers. I have constantly been hearing that global warming is causing glaciers to melt and thus increasing the sea level. If entire glaciers are melting then how will a small increase in precipitation freeze and increase the size of glaciers? I have heard some rather convincing arguments about how global warming could cause an ice age but most of them revolve around the glaciers melting. When the glaciers melt and sea levels rise the ocean currents are subject to change. One such change will decrease the amount of warm water that is brought to the northern parts of the world via the currents thus decreasing temperatures in the north. This could be a potential cause of a future ice age. Have you heard anything about these hypotheses?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't this have to occur during the cooling cycle of the global warming trend? Because from what I've read, glaciers are melting and not expanding. I don't think added water vapor would cause them to expand if they are currently melting especially if the water vapor increased the temperatures even more. Here is a link about glacier melting: http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/pages/glaciers.html
ReplyDeleteI think you both have a point. I should have probably researched a bit more. Please allow me to edit.
ReplyDeleteAs liquid water gets hotter, it becomes a gas. Since in general global temperatures are rising, glaciers are melting, changing the currents, and raising water levels. This causes the ocean temperature to lower, then the water evaporates, and cooler rain falls. However, with the carbon dioxide in the air (which is heavier then air) holding in heat from the sun, the temperature of the rain falls again. The glaciers would have to expand because of freezing in order to cause a drop in temperature.
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