The main cause of any ice age is a continent over the pole.
Since Antarctica is over a pole, that land gets really cold and can't warm up very fast. Usually, there is water over the poles, and the cold water can easily circulate and regulate the planet better. Land doesn't circulate, so the cold just gets colder. So, Antarctica's occupation of the pole, starting at ~5 Ma (million years ago) has lead to our current ice age.
In the Permian (250 Ma), it was the tip of Gondwanaland (southern Africa/South America). The older glaciations are more speculative (see link).
As long as a land mass occupies a pole, we'll be in an ice age and experience cycles of glacial maxima and minima. We will stay in the pattern for about another few million years (though our greenhouse gas emissions may cancel that out). The fluctuations (maxima/minima) you get (on a ~10 000 to 100 000 year scale) within an ice age, which most mistakenly assume entails the whole ice age, is caused by climate patterns and astronomical cycles.
Once we finish this ice age (i.e. Antarctica leaves the pole), we may get one again when Australia or something else goes over the south pole or N America/Greenland/Siberia goes over the north pole.
Will we go back into a glacial maximum soon? It is possible, but global warming is raising temperatures faster than anything is cooling.
2006-11-27 17:22:02
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answer #1
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answered by QFL 24-7 6
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When? We don't know is the answer. What we can say is how we think it's going to happen. Scientists are worried about global warming. This global warming is melting the ice caps and this produces cold melt waters. Not only do the melt waters raise the sea level but they can also cause problems with the currents that keep the earth's weather in sink. A prime example is to look at the north atlantic drift (The Gulf Stream). Birmingham (UK) is only three degrees of latitude south of Moscow yet the climate is much more moderate because of the North Atlantic Drift. If that stopped we could freeze. Similar patterns could occur all over the planet causing another ice age.
2006-11-23 19:28:08
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answer #2
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answered by f+v=e+2 Euler's a genius!!! 1
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Scientist belives that it is ten time in past that the ice age has strike our earth. However it might be after such a long period of around ten thousand to 3 million years when the next ice age come. Therefore, if the next ice age strike our earth then it might be be after Ten Thousand Years.
THE ICE AGE:-
The term Ice Age refers to the last major glaciation that occurred in North America and Eurasia, from 2 million to 11,500 years ago, during the Pleistocene period. The movement of Earth’s plates, reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and changes in Earth’s orbit are three major causes of ice ages.
Many different animals lived during the Ice Age. Among the more interesting are the mastodon, the mammoth, the saber-toothed tiger, the dire wolf, and the snowshoe hare. These animals have been found at several major excavation sites, including La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California, Eastside Reservoir Project in Hemet, California, and many sites throughout the Midwest.
2006-11-23 18:44:41
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answer #3
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answered by raka 3
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"The Day After day after today" isn't a technology movie, it won't inform you lots approximately actual Ice an prolonged time. over the previous few million years, the Earth has cycled between Ice an prolonged time and interglacial sessions. we are presently in an interglacial era, the warmth time between Ice an prolonged time. yet another Ice Age is a fact, be it in 500 years or 5000 years. An Ice Age will impact the completed planet. Sea stages will fall by as much as a hundred-200m, leaving each and every of the sea ports of the international landlocked. maximum of northern Europe, Russia and northerly North usa would be lined in Ice kilometres thick. Glaciers will look in most of the mountain stages of the international. Rainfall will shrink globally (chilly air won't be able to hold as lots water), so vegetation world extensive will fail. With much less shallow ocean, fish shares will shrink. If human beings are around, billions of folk will starve, and wars would be fought over the the rest factors able to growing to be vegetation. and there is no longer something human beings can do to surrender it, all we can do is minimise the wear it reasons while it occurs.
2016-12-10 14:49:02
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answer #4
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answered by barsky 4
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normally ice age strikes millons of years after it strikes so it will not srikes soon but there are still some more thousands of years to go. but looking at todays conditon due to global warming the temp. is rising tremendously and disturbing the the natural balance.so the nature will try to balance it by ice.the last time ice age occured due to meteorite that struck on earth that lead to the extinction of dinosaurs. at that time the temperature of earth rised so much that it resuted to ice age.so we connot predit exactly that when will ice age stike now.
2006-11-23 20:10:13
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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I don't believe thare are any forecasts with the ability to predict when it will come. The ice age is a huge thing and it is beyond our abilities to predice when it will occur since we have little ability to look at patterns and that sort of thing from the past.
2006-11-23 18:48:01
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answer #6
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answered by scurvybc 3
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well the global warming has started. i think it will happen after some 1000 yrs. to know more how can the ice age start watch the movie THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.
2006-11-26 00:35:19
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answer #7
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answered by helga 2
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no,only heat age
2006-11-23 19:15:55
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answer #8
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answered by guharamdas 5
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I think now!!! it'd happening
2015-02-24 04:48:15
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answer #9
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answered by ? 1
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never. the world will only end by the return of jesus. i believe this.
2006-11-23 18:35:13
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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