Polar ice caps melting started from solar radiation

[eunhye]

Apparently, not entirely from C02.


Long debate ended over cause, demise of ice ages -- may also help predict future

The findings are important, the scientists said, because they will give researchers a more precise understanding of how ice sheets melt in response to radiative forcing mechanisms. And even though the changes that occurred 19,000 years ago were due to increased solar radiation, that amount of heating can be translated into what is expected from current increases in greenhouse gas levels, and help scientists more accurately project how Earth's existing ice sheets will react in the future.

[Mizango]

Lief will surely blame the DNC for this. Can you blame him? I mean what do we physicists know?

[Diamicles]

OH MY SCIENCE

[zoobernut]

That is a really fascinating article. I really like the part where they talk about the natural warming and cooling cycles of the Earth that happen naturally, going from extreme warm to ice age every 100k years or so.

[Tristam]

Another amazing part of the report, was how well they modeled more local weather cycles over different parts of the earth (monsoons, la nina, etc) and calculated those cycles as forcings that have predictable effects. Which were in turn validated by the data, and provide a better explanation of why the northern hemisphere is so important in the context of recent ice ages relative to the more buffered conditions in the southern hemisphere (that is, if I read the article correctly). This report is a very very powerful demonstration of how data can be used to understand past climate cycles and current forcings. More data = better models.

I was under the impression that the axial wobble of the earth was pretty well understood and were well correlated with the cycles that produce the current glaciations and interglacials, but this more directly pinpoints exactly *how* the changes in insolation (and especially the angle of insolation and where most of it hits the earth) cause such drastic changes over the entire planet. This fact doesn't take anything away from the article of course.

[Neosutra]

OH MY SCIENCE

SCIENCE DAMN YOU!

[Woozie]

Obviously a left wing liberal conspiracy. Don't believe any of their lies or their Kenyan president.

[Shenrien]

SCIENCE DAMN YOU!

DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

[Mizango]

Obviously a left wing liberal conspiracy. Don't believe any of their lies or their Kenyan president.

lol

[Khamsin]

DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

I think you mean

DAMN YOU ALL TO FICTION!

[Davricle]

Wait how is this suddenly political?

[Bingbong]

Wait how is this suddenly political?

Al Gore did it.

[zoobernut]

Wait how is this suddenly political?

Because of Global Warming?

[Olo401]

That is a really fascinating article. I really like the part where they talk about the natural warming and cooling cycles of the Earth that happen naturally, going from extreme warm to ice age every 100k years or so.

It's kinda odd how global warming's detractors will cite this as evidence that global warming is a purely natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with CO2 emissions. If anything, CO2 is an amplifier that makes the natural cycle more potent, just as volcanic activity is.

[Demosthenes11]

I think that article further proves we are having an effect on climate change rather than refute it lol

fission mailed OP

[zoobernut]

Well if you read the article they actually talk about how the Earth goes through natural cycles and that this shows evidence that Global Warming is not going to make the cycle any more extreme. The effect of CO2 and global warming is to just speed up this process, however because it is a normal process the Earth is self correcting and will bounce back in the opposite direction after the warming trend peaks.

So in that sense yes global warming is purely natural phenomenon. The only thing that has changed is the rate at which is happening.

Edit: Yeah what Demo said, it confirms our contribution but changes the view on what effect we are having. It is much more specific.

[Demosthenes11]

greenhouse gas emissions amplify the process though, meaning hotter hot times and colder cold times. The earth is self correcting yes, but the millions of species of the earth do not evolve in a period of 50k years. Amplified climate shifts could decimate the world's ecosystem

[Tristam]

I think that article further proves we are having an effect on climate change rather than refute it lol

fission mailed OP

This is exactly true, the report itself is explicit that melting ice followed by increased atmospheric CO2 represents a potential positive natural forcing which could further amplify the anthropogenic warming effect.

I should also point out that during the geologic age in which there has been land situated at one of the poles (antarctica), the earth has *never* seen a full-scale loss of ice sheets. So although AGW could be considered "natural" it is very possible that we could force a climactic variation never experienced by the earth under the current continental conditions.

[Tristam]

It's kinda odd how global warming's detractors will cite this as evidence that global warming is a purely natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with CO2 emissions. If anything, CO2 is an amplifier that makes the natural cycle more potent, just as volcanic activity is.

I have the same anticipation that someone, probably some foolish misguided lawmaker, will trot out the old "see it's only the sun dummy!" argument.

[zoobernut]

greenhouse gas emissions amplify the process though, meaning hotter hot times and colder cold times. The earth is self correcting yes, but the millions of species of the earth do not evolve in a period of 50k years. Amplified climate shifts could decimate the world's ecosystem

The worlds ecosystem is naturally decimated on Earth every 100k years or so. Earth has gone through mass extinctions before, this time is not going to be any different just because it is sped up a little bit.