Rivers of ice at the Equator — foretold in the 2nd century, found in the 19th?

Question

In an article titled "Climate change melts Kilimanjaro's snows" there are several references to something being foretold by the 2nd century greeks, what did they foretell?

I'm just curious. Did they predict global warming, or something similar?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061216/ap_on_sc/warmer_world_african_glaciers_1

Answer 1

.....the "Mountains of the Moon" imagined by ancient Greeks as the source of the Nile River.

They foretold it being the source of the Nile river....it IS one of the sources.

Answer 2

The earth has gone through a number of periods of global warming and global icing. The polar ice caps have melted and reformed a number of times, and will likely continue to do so, as long as the earth continues to circle around the sun.
There were predictions in the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, of many things -- if you look through enough of the prognostications, you're bound to find some that are true, along with many more that aren't. Even old Nostradamus has hit it right a few times, but his predictions are so clouded in hyperbole and imagery that it's hard for anyone to figure to exactly what he is forecasting -- or when it's going to happen.

Answer 3

Its not about foretelling anything. There have been several ice ages in the past, and depending on environmental conditions, its possible for ice sheets to have survived.

Besides, you predict something, twist something to mean what you want it to mean, then sooner or later you'll probably find an example of it.

Its like reading the bible. You can twist the words to mean just about anything you want.

Answer 4

not sure I buy that just yet.

Earth has had quite a few "ice ages". Even in the 16th century there was a mini ice age glacier migration, that actually completed it's cycle in 1845 as accepted by the scientific community.