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The very fact that there are ice caps in and around the Arctic means we are in an ice age.

It started 2.6 million years ago and we are now in a warm period we call an interglacial.

If the ice caps melted very quickly it could allow a lot of fresh water into the northern oceans so altering the flow of warmer water from the south. This could mean that those countries in the north will not receive the warming waters we need to stave off another glaciation.

If the ice caps melted slowly however, it could mean we would leave the ice age for a long time. The downside to that means that hot countries could become hotter and drier.

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Does the ice caps on the Earth melt naturally?

Yes - and re-form - but over geological time measured in 1000s or 10s of 1000s of years. (The last glacial retreat of the present Ice Age is reckoned to have started about 12000 years ago.)


Have the ice caps melted before?

The Earth has gone through ice ages with shifting ice caps, but they have not completely melted during human history. However, current climate change is causing the polar ice caps to melt at an accelerated rate, leading to rising sea levels and other environmental impacts.


How do you slow down the speed that the ice caps are melting at?

Drive carefully on this situation. 2nd Answer: Great first answer!!! In the global cooling years from 1948 to 1971, all sorts of wierd ways to MAKE the polar ice caps melt were devised. My favorite involved dropping black pigments from helicopters and spray planes on the ice caps to make them melt. Atmospheric scientists are now seeing signs that Earth may be going into another little ice age. The Antarctic ice cap is increasing, not melting. The Arctic ice cap is melting a little bit due to the North Atlantic Ocean oscillation, which has been going warm, then freezing, then warm, then freezing for millions of years. It looks like it is starting to switch over to the 'freezing' mode in a decade or two.


When did the glaciers began to melt?

About 100 million years


How do creationists say ice caps were formed?

Creationists believe that ice caps were formed through natural processes such as the post-Flood Ice Age, which is seen as a result of the catastrophic global flood described in the Bible. They attribute the formation of ice caps to a combination of volcanic activity, plate tectonics, and changing atmospheric conditions following the flood event.

Related Questions

Does the ice caps on the Earth melt naturally?

Yes - and re-form - but over geological time measured in 1000s or 10s of 1000s of years. (The last glacial retreat of the present Ice Age is reckoned to have started about 12000 years ago.)


What age do babies grow knee caps?

Knee caps appear when a child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.


What is the name of the second ice age movie?

Ice Age The Melt-Down


How are the melting ice caps connected to climate change?

Yes, melting ice caps could potentially cause an ice age, at least in the northern hemisphere. The ocean currents that carry climate patterns around the world, such as the gulf stream are in a fairly delicate balance, and much of this movement has to do with the salt content of the water in the north atlantic. If the arctic cap were to melt, this fresh water would dilute the salt water to the extent that the gulf stream would come to a stop, thereby no longer bringing the warmer climates through from the tropics, and thereby seeing a freezing over of at least Europe. For a better explanation, see Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth.


What comes after the ice age?

Ice Age 2: The Melt Down. Great flick.


What is the age of the Arctic?

80 billion million thousands


Have the ice caps melted before?

The Earth has gone through ice ages with shifting ice caps, but they have not completely melted during human history. However, current climate change is causing the polar ice caps to melt at an accelerated rate, leading to rising sea levels and other environmental impacts.


If the last ics age ended 11000 years ago then global warming warming must have started thousands of years before What caused the end of the last ice age since there was no burning of oil or coal?

the earth came closer to the sun and it melted! duh! Yeah, but that would not be "man made" as Al Gore claims in his fictional movie using Styrofoam to simulate polar ice melt I want to know how did man cause the melt of in some places a two mile thick layer of ice stretching from the arctic to central Georgia It is obvious to anyone with an of intelligence that man could not have caused the melt Of course that excludes Al Gore.


Where can you watch ice age 2 the melt down?

DVD


How do you slow down the speed that the ice caps are melting at?

Drive carefully on this situation. 2nd Answer: Great first answer!!! In the global cooling years from 1948 to 1971, all sorts of wierd ways to MAKE the polar ice caps melt were devised. My favorite involved dropping black pigments from helicopters and spray planes on the ice caps to make them melt. Atmospheric scientists are now seeing signs that Earth may be going into another little ice age. The Antarctic ice cap is increasing, not melting. The Arctic ice cap is melting a little bit due to the North Atlantic Ocean oscillation, which has been going warm, then freezing, then warm, then freezing for millions of years. It looks like it is starting to switch over to the 'freezing' mode in a decade or two.


When did the glaciers began to melt?

About 100 million years


What are the ratings and certificates for Ice Age Continental Drift - Arctic Games - 2012 VG?

Ice Age Continental Drift - Arctic Games - 2012 VG is rated/received certificates of: USA:E