What drives glacial cycles

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Scientific American; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0190-48· OSTI ID:6720842

Broecker, W S; Denton, G H

The Milankovitch theory advocates that the glacial cycles have three components: the tilt of the earth's spin axis; the shape of the earth's orbit; and the interaction between the tilt and the eccentricity effects. These three factors work together to vary the amount of sunshine reaching the high northern latitudes in summer and allow the great ice sheets to grow during intervals of cool summers and mild winters. Evidence is presented which indicates that the circulation pattern of the Atlantic ocean was shifted dramatically about 14,000 years ago, at the same time that glaciers in both hemispheres started to retreat. The authors believe that massive reorganizations of the ocean-atmosphere system are the key events that link cyclic changes in the earth's orbit to the advance and retreat of ice sheet.

• OSTI ID: 6720842
• Journal Information: Scientific American; (USA), Journal Name: Scientific American; (USA) Vol. 262:1; ISSN SCAMA; ISSN 0036-8733
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
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CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUID MECHANICS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GLACIERS
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INCLINATION
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MECHANICS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
NUCLEI
ORBITS
OXIDES
OXYGEN 18
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PALEONTOLOGY
PLANETS
SEAS
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TIME DEPENDENCE
WATER CURRENTS