Rebounding from an Ice Age

Join Hugh Ross and Kevin Birdwell as they discuss new discoveries taking place at the frontiers of science that have theological and philosophical implications, including the reality of God’s existence.

Rebounding from an Ice Age

Earth has undergone approximately 25 ice age cycles over the last several million years, with 85 to 90% of that time spent in conditions much colder than the present warm period. Yet, every cold glacial period thus far has ended with a warm “interglacial” period similar to the present global climate. But why does this happen? What allows an Earth with a much higher percentage of ice and snow cover to recover from cold temperatures associated with the deep glacial periods of our recent past?

Links and Resources:

• The Last Glacial Termination
• The Relative Contribution of Orbital Forcing and Greenhouse Gases to the North American Deglaciation
• GRIP Deuterium Excess Reveals Rapid and Orbital-Scale Changes in Greenland Moisture Origin
•  The Timing of Major Climate Terminations
• In and Out of Glacial Extremes by way of Dust-Climate Feedbacks
• Glacial-Interglacial Changes in Ocean Surface Conditions in the Southern Hemisphere
• Climate of the Past, Present, and Future: A Scientific Debate, 2nd ed.