New climate model predicts millions of years of ice ages

New Climate Model Accurately Predicts Millions of Years of Ice Ages

Earth experiences seasonal changes because of how its axis is tilted (23.43° relative to the Sun’s equator), causing one hemisphere to always be tilted towards the Sun (and the other away) for different parts of the year. However, because of gravitational interactions between the Earth, Sun, Moon, and other planets of the Solar System, Earth has experienced changes in its orientation (obliquity) over the course of eons. This has led to significant changes in Earth’s climate, particularly the recession and expansion of ice sheets due to significant variations in the distribution of sunlight and seasonal changes.

These warming and cooling periods are known as interglacial and glacial periods (“ice ages”). Another interesting change is how the glacial-interglacial cycle has become slower with time. While scientists have long suspected that astronomical forces are responsible, they have only recently been able to test this theory. In a recent study, a team of Japanese researchers reproduced the cycle of glacial periods during the early Pleistocene Epoch (1.6 to 1.2 million years ago) using an improved computer model that confirmed astronomical forces were responsible.


The team consisted of researchers from the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute (AORI) at the University of Tokyo, the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI-JMA), the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, the Center for Computational Astrophysics (CfCA-NAOJ), and the Planetary Exploration Research Cente (PERC-CIT). The team’s paper appeared in the May 15th issue of Communications Earth & Environment (a journal published by Nature).

For the past 450,000 years, Earth’s glacial-interglacial cycle has had a period of about 100,000 years – with glacial periods lasting between 70 to 90 thousand years and interglacials lasting 10,000. However, for 800,000 years during the early Pleistocene (from 1.6 to 1.2 million years before the present date), the cycle had a more rapid period of about 40,000 years. Using state-of-the-art computer simulations, the team considered the impact of astronomical forces on Earth’s glacial-interglacial cycle and compared these results to the geological record.


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Last Edited by Coastie Patriot on 05/21/2023 07:36 PM