The Next Ice Age

The climate of the earth has fluctuated quite a bit over the last 4.6 billion years of our planet's history and it can be expected that the climate will continue to change. One of the most intriguing questions in earth science is whether the periods of ice ages are over or is the earth in an "interglacial," or period of time between ice ages?

The current geologic time period is known as the Holocene. This epoch began about 11,000 years ago which was the end of the last glacial period and the end of the Pleistocene epoch. The Pleistocene was an epoch of cool glacial and warmer interglacial periods which began about 1.8 million years ago.

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An Overview of the Last Global Glaciation

By Amanda Briney

Where Is Glacial Ice Located Now?

Since the glacial period, the areas known as the "Wisconsin" in North America and "Würm" in Europe — when over 10 million square miles (about 27 million square kilometers) of North America, Asia, and Europe were covered by ice — almost all of the ice sheets covering the land and glaciers in the mountains have retreated. Today about ten percent of the earth's surface is covered by ice; 96% of this ice is located in Antarctica and Greenland. Glacial ice is also present in such diverse places as Alaska, Canada, New Zealand, Asia, and California.

Could Earth Enter Another Ice Age?

As only 11,000 years have passed since the last Ice Age, scientists cannot be certain that humans are indeed living in a post-glacial Holocene epoch instead of an interglacial period of the Pleistocene and thus due for another ice age in the geologic future. Some scientists believe that an increase in global temperature, as is now being experienced, could be a sign of an impending ice age and could actually increase the amount of ice on the earth's surface.

The cold, dry air above the Arctic and Antarctica carries little moisture and drops little snow on the regions. An increase in global temperature could increase the amount of moisture in the air and increase the amount of snowfall. After years of more snowfall than melting, the polar regions could accumulate more ice. An accumulation of ice would lead to a lowering of the level of the oceans and there would be further, unanticipated changes in the global climate system as well.

Mankind's short history on earth and even shorter records of the climate keep people from fully understanding the implications of global warming. Without a doubt, an increase in the earth's temperature will have major consequences for all life on this planet.