2007-03-15 10:19:19 · 11 answers · asked by Thunder T 1 in Environment
It's possible. It has a lot to do with thermohaline circulation and the global ocean conveyor belt (and its possible shutdown). It's complex and difficult to explain, so I suggest you check out this wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutdown_of_thermohaline_circulation
There was a shutdown of the conveyor before (caused by some warming event, it's not clear what) during the Younger Dryas (the 'Big Freeze') period, as speculated by W.S. Broecker. The warming caused meltwater to divert a pulse of low-salinity water that disrupted the basic flow of the North Atlantic, and cut off formation of deep water. Formation of deep water gives off heat. So cutting off that formation of deep water led to an abrupt transition from interglacial to glacial temperatures in the Northern hemisphere.
It's entirely possible that a rise in global temperature (likely caused by global warming) could cause that to happen again. Some areas could get warmer as a result of the shutdown, but others could see a drop in temperature of 5-10 degrees Celsius.
It's complicated, but pretty interesting. There's a lot more to it, but if you're really interested, try reading the wikipedia article I listed below and the article by Broecker about using the Younger Dryas as a model.
2007-03-15 11:02:52 · answer #1 · answered by 'Awa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, global warming causes changes in air currents, land masses, and climate and it could have an effect to cause an ice age, but it's hard to predict.
2007-03-15 10:27:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In theory yes. It is thought that global temperature increase can cause air and ocean currents to be disrupted. Since currents like the gulf stream keep places like England warm this could theoretically cause an ice age as glaciers would form unabated in areas where they currently wouldn't.
2007-03-15 10:24:11 · answer #3 · answered by pathc22 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't see how warming can cause an ice age but there certainly will be another ice age. The climate cycles have been going on forever.
2007-03-15 12:01:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. watch 'an inconvenient truth'. Trust me, you learn a lot from it. In the last ice age, the area which the great lakes are in was filled completely with water. Then, the water got emptied into the atlantic ocean and the hot and cold currents circulating in the water stopped, and the earth froze over. Because greenland, the place basically built of glaciers, is melting at an alarming rate, history could repeat itself and the atlantic currents could stop again.
2007-03-15 12:51:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so
the ice age was caused by a meteor
I think global warming will cause the world to be flooded after the boles melt
2007-03-15 10:23:48 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
We are currently in the middle of the warm part of the iceage cycle. Iceages are cycles that go from cool to warm over ~100,000 years.
2007-03-15 10:26:14 · answer #7 · answered by jim m 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good question, but I'm afraid there is still no answer because we don't know whats starts a ice age (no proof, enough theories)
2007-03-15 10:24:57 · answer #8 · answered by peternaarstig 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think warming something can make it freeze.
2007-03-15 10:25:08 · answer #9 · answered by p v 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. You should not rely on Hollywood for information.
2007-03-17 06:37:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋