Can global warming lead eventually to global cooling? As more ice breaks off from the polar regions(Greenland?

Question

specifically), can this superabundance of ice cool the prevailing ocean currents to effectively change the world's climates, and bring about another ice age? I have read in scientific journals that this is a real possibility.

Answer 1

What they're saying is that the large amounts of fresh water entering the ocean from melting ice caps could dilute the salt water. The salt water is what drives the ocean's currents that heats the earth.

I believe that the Earth will balance itself out. It gets hotter, poles slightly melt, currents slow, earth cools, poles enlarge, more salty oceans, it gets hotter.....


But i don't even believe in global warming.


All these people are saying stuff right out of Al Gore's movie (which I've seen). Al Gore is no scientist. In that movie, the charts had no numbers on them. It was just a red line going up and down.

And the myth that co2 concentrations happen before periods of warming is a myth. The co2 concentrations rise after periods of warmth because of decaying plant matter that died during the heat wave.

Answer 2

Good question. There is a theory that changes in Greenland ice cover had a role in regulating ice ages in the past. Some of the conditions are different (higher greenhouse gas concentrations, for example), so it cannot be assumed that the system will operate in the same manner as in the past. The best answer that I can give as a scientist is that I simply I don't know because there are many factors to consider.

Here are a few factors that come to mind immediately. I am sure that this is not an exhaustive list.
1. The heat absorbed by ice melting (heat of fusion) merely slows the rate of temperature increase by absorbing excess energy. Once the ice is gone, the buffering effect will disappear and warming would accelerate all else being equal.
2. Do changes in ocean currents alter the rate of CO2/methane, etc transport between the ocean and atmosphere and what effect will this have on greenhouse gas concentrations?
3. How will concentrations of nutrients in the oceans be affected? Will there be more or less photosynthesis?
4. How will changes in ocean currents affect temperature and precipitation on land? If agriculture is altered, the albedo and carbon flux will be altered also.
5. The albedo of Greenland will be reduced and less solar radiation will be reflected into space.
6. Will the albedo at lower latitudes increase as a consequence of higher ocean temperatures and more cloud cover?
7. A warmer Greenland may become forested removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

Answer 3

What you're speaking of is the possibility that an influx of freshwater from melting glaciers might cause a shutdown of the thermohaline conveyor. The conveyor is a system of ocean currents that is partly responsible for the warmer climate of Northwest Europe vs other areas at the same latitude (ie Canada). Many scientists and historians believe that a similar shutdown occured with the "little ice age," a period of cooler climate that lasted about 500 years, ending in the mid 1800s. Prior to the "little ice age" global climate was similar to that of today, some say even warmer. This is just one theory but it is a distinct possibility, so much so in fact that the Pentagon commissioned Schwartz and Randall to do a report on what would happen if the world's climate suddenly dropped. You can read this report here: http://www.gbn.com/ArticleDisplayServlet.srv?aid=26231

You might also wish to read some of Brian Fagan's work. He is a professor at UC Santa Barbara and has done extensive research on the little ice age phenomenon.

And, contrary to some of the other answers, the effects would not be exclusive to Europe. The effects of the little ice age were felt in much of early America and may have been responsible for the extinction of the Vikings in Greenland.

Answer 4

While it's a possibility, this isn't what causes it. The ice breaking off will melt and cause flooding. That is already happening and people ignore this number one issue with global warming. That is coasts and islands are already flooding and experiencing worse storms. Some atolls and small low altitude islands have already flooded and their inhabitants had to evacuate. If all the ice melted the sea level would rise 220 feet. Then if you had a tsunami on top of that you'd need to go another 100 feet up. To be safe people should move to 320 feet above sea level now, in addition to reducing pollution, which is just good sense for your health. Those are the two best things you can do about global warming. The global cooling thing happens because the current becomes sluggish. That could happen but will more likely affect the Atlantic. I never hear about effects on the Pacific.

Answer 5

Pretty good question!

Well, melting ice can only cool things down until you run out of ice. (so no to another ice age)

What I would expect would happen would be that as long as the ice is melting the water that is cooled would be incorporated into the existing pattern of ocean currents. Right now we have currents on the surface, and return flow at great depth. Normally the colder ones are the deep ones and the warm ones are the surface ones, but they trade places from time to time. That's why some hurricane seasons are active and some are quiet. When you hear the term "El Nino" or "La Nina", that's what it refers to. The cooler water should sink and join up with a cooler current, although right now I believe the cooler currents are on the surface. That makes it kind of hard to say. If they do join up, I would think the main thing that would happen is the "quiet" hurricane seasons would be a little quieter. Once the ice is gone, things will heat up across the board, so the water will be warm or warmer, and the hurricane seasons will be active or VERY active.

We're among of a lot of people looking ahead at to what will happen when the polar caps are gone because it's never happened before. I would expect the climatologists would say something similar, but I doubt they'd put it in print this early. Weather science is tricky enough, and they rarely say anything until they're absolutely sure.

Answer 6

The same quantity of water, when it is in a solid state occupies a larger volume than when it is in a liquid state, therefore it is less dense, and that is why it floats. Get a bowl, fill it half full with water, and some ice cubes, mark the water level, then wait for the ice to melt and remark the water level, you will see that the level has not gone up, but maybe, if you are very accurate, you will see that it has gone down. The Arctic ice cap is mostly sea ice, so even if it all melted it would not cause flooding of our coastal areas. As for Antarctica, the peninsular (3% of the land area) is warming, but both satellite and ground measurements show that the main bulk of the continent (97%) is getting colder. In 1988, one of the UN's '2500 scientists' reported to congress that by 2000 that sea level would have risen by several feet, a reality check in 2000 showed that it had not risen even 1 inch. Exaggerated claims are being made for political reasons, and should be viewed with a healthy dose of scepticism

Answer 7

Yes it is true if greenland melts or the artic or antartica melts the oceanic conveyor will stop and this will lead to another ice age. But whats weird is if the waters getting hotter why arent there many hurricanes (Maybe its already getting cooler) This is all because of pollution and if we dont stop well end up like are sister venus. Oh and watch the Al Gore movie An Iconvieniant Truth for more.

Answer 8

The theory is that the weight of the water would be changed because of ice melt. The melt would be fresh water which is heavy when it mixes with the oceans current it could shut it off.

in other words the Mixing of the salt water and fresh water would change the oceans current and weather pattern in the atmosphere it would have to be a ton of fresh water but as ice melts it gets weaker and weaker a huge break off could happen.

Answer 9

The onset of global warming is actually an indication that humans have taken control of the Earth's climate.

If we are wise, we will stop adding CO2 to the atmosphere now, while we are in a natural warming period.

We should save the fossil fuels for the onset of the next Ice Age. Ice Ages are driven by quasi-periodic changes in the Earth's orbit and tilt (called Milankovich cycles), that cause a net reduction in sunlight. When the next ice age starts, we'll want to have large quantities of fossil fuels around, so that we can increase greenhouse gasses and cause global warming when we really need it.

If we burn all the fuel now, we'll be too hot for a few thousand years, and then there won't be any fossil fuels left for the next Ice Age.

Answer 10

This has been tried before. In the 1970s we were warned about Global Cooling. It was completely debunked. The same people switched to Global Warming and that stuck.

This is just an attempt by Global Warming Propagandists to cover themselves. When their models fail, they can immedately pull out the Global Cooling card and keep marching.