What Causes An Ice Age?

We might be closer to an ice age than we would like to admit. And the reason is global warming. Yes I know, not so intuitive. 
One might ask: “What’s the most significant consequence of global warming?” And the response usually looks something like: “Oh, nothing much. Just the sudden increase in sunscreen sales and polar bears getting their own air conditioning units!” 
But that’s not all! The global heating of the Earth is disrupting the periodic cycle of ice ages, that are naturally caused by its orbit around the Sun and other orbital parameters!
Let’s see what scientists have to say about what causes an ice age and how global warming might be affecting the upcoming one!

What is an Ice Age? 
So, what is an Ice Age? It is a geological phenomenon that is both a blessing and a curse, kind of like finding out your favorite guilty pleasure snack is actually good for you. On one hand, it brings forth majestic landscapes of icy wonder, like a frozen fairytale land straight out of a Disney movie

Wobbles of Earth
Imagine the Earth as a little spinning top, rotating and wobbling, almost like it’s trying to make up a dance move. But unlike John Travolta, our planet has less defined rhythm. It sways and turns like an ice skater who is losing balance, because of the great variations of its rotation.
Eccentricity
The shape of our orbit around the Sun changes over time. That shape is what we call eccentricity and it varies between zero, giving us a nice circular orbit, and one, where the orbit becomes more stretched and elliptical, looking more and more like an elongated egg. 

Combination of the Cycles
Now that I can use these terms with the peace of mind that you will know what I am talking about, let’s go through how they could cause an ice age on Earth together. 
Specifically, combined periods of low eccentricity, a lower rotational axis tilt, and the positioning of the closest approach to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere winter definitely create just the perfect environment for an ice age to form. 

Ocean’s Circulation 
The last period of ice the Earth went through was 100 thousand years ago and lasted for around 75 thousand years! 
The Earth actually goes through one of those every few million years. Right now, we are in a time called an inter-glacial period, which means it's not as cold and the previously accumulated ice is melting. 
After some scientists at Cardiff University studied icebergs that melt in Antarctica, they found that when these icebergs melt, they release pieces of rock into the ocean

Global Warming: The Ice Age's Misunderstood Cousin
Now, the natural thing would be for you to start thinking is: "But… shouldn’t global warming cause us to melt, and not to freeze?" Ah, my dear, you are indeed correct. Global warming, constantly caused by human activities, is indeed making the overall temperature of the Earth rise, leading to the melting of ice caps and glaciers. 

How Would We React?
The past pandemic showed us that humans have developed the ability to create an environment that accepts what it’s going through and gets creative with it. I really wonder what our current generation would do if it had to go through an Ice Age anytime soon and what creative thing sit would come up with.
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Credits: Nasa/Shutterstock/Storyblocks/Elon Musk/SpaceX/ESA/ESO/ Flickr

Video Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:40 Wobbles of earth
03:40 milankowitch cycles
04:08 axial precession
05:14 eccentricity
06:57 combination of the cycles
07:25 Ocean's circulation
09:30 Global warming: The Ice Age's Misunderstood Cousin
10:59 How would we react?

#insanecuriosity #iceage #globalwarming

[eliinthewolverinestate]

We live in an ice age now. The video never defined what an ice age is. Ice age implies the presence of extensive ice sheets in the northern and southern hemispheres.

[alderwolf]

How many are aware that every ice age is proceeded by a sudden jump in global temperature and none were man made?
I'm surprised this video didn't comment on the Beaufort Gyre when talking about melting artic ice affecting ocean circulation and heat transport.

[mbisson]

It should be mentioned that the moon does not orbit at Earth's equatorial plane. It's about 5 degrees above and below the ecliptic.

[Skeptik]

Let us ask expert Al Gore about climate change. Chuckle

[doughoffman]

8:32 salt water is denser than fresh water

8:42 When the Antarctic ice release large amounts of freshwater into the Southern Ocean, the flow reduces the overall salt concentration in the Southern Ocean, making it relatively dense compared to the saltier one

Contradiction? Which is it?

[michaeljones]

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on whether we're going to need flip flops or Mukluks 👍

[epplonia]

We'd certainly adapt to our new climate but you have to keep in mind the world's food supply relies on the temperate zones being able to grow all of that food.

We're already facing rapidly approaching food insecurities, an ice age would indirectly kill a ton of people through starvation (even if we could keep everyone warm)

Any places left 'warm' on Earth would be overpopulated and wouldn't have room to grow enough food even if we could keep people from living in the warmer areas.

[jimo-tx]

More days of Summer and more days of Spring equals warmer temperatures overall, literally Naturally!

[davidbonhote]

InsaneCuriousity, haven't you seen the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow"? That perfectly exemplifies this topic issue your talking about!

[Dutch-linux]

what I would do is complaining it is cold 🤣

[lescobrandon]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! oh please Mr. Politician, raise my taxes and make us eat bugs to save the planet!

[TimDavies]

Huge plasma pumps from cme and huge reduction in out magnetic field. Destruction of the northern ozone lay is the define cause super arctic heating, which almost ensure massive cooling even in Europe first due to cold fresh water rushing out of the Arctic

[anomaly]

Human activity provides an extremely negligible impact on climate.

[mikelariosa]

I love those die hard penguin questioning their life choices 😅

[frankmachado]

Funny you saying this! I have proof of a device made to combat ice forming due to Grand Solar Minimum, as I had learned it lasts 50 yrs, 25 in, 25 out... YT destroyed my video's on a site I created back in 2016, you know when we had like 6 too many solar eclipse! I was a daily visitor to the ISS and I recorded something I was looking for. after posting someone asked me if I had anymore video's and I answered no! week later my site was frozen, none of the video's worked, so I still have the main video, I tried to reupload it and it failed each time until a few days later I changed the header and it went back up, that told me it was YT. GOOGLE, THE 3 LETTER AGENCY EMPLOYER, just like foolsbook, the dirty CIA/FBI can't keep their hands off free speech!

[chriswebster]

Was pretty good until human activities was blamed for what we are experiencing now.

[cindya]

If all decisions / assumptions are based on the Grace satellite measurements, so less than 100 years of data, what is the baseline you are using for comparison? The earth is 4.5 billion years old, so making sweeping statements on only the last bit of data seems the height of hubris. (I’m not denying that the climate changes, because I consider that’s just obvious based on the historical record.)

[mikeburkhart]

Mr. Freeze's Ice Gun overloads and explodes...and the new Ice Age begins.

[herbertfawcett]

We are currently IN an ice age and have been for almost 3 millin years. You keep refering to glacisl maximums as ice ages

[johncoviello]

One thing you got wrong is ice ages (actually glaciations, since we’re technically in an ice age now with ice on the poles) occur every 120, 000 years or so, not every few millions of years as you stated.