22,000 YEARS AGO
The most recent ice-age reached it’s peak, average global temperatures were about 7°C colder than they are today. Glacial ice covered large parts of northern Europe, Canada and the United States, in places it was more than 2,000 metres thick. The oceans were colder and so much water was locked in the ice that sea-levels were about 120 metres lower than they are now.
22,000 TO 10,000 YEARS AGO
The last-ice age period entered it’s warming phase. As the shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun changed more heat energy was being received and the planet warmed. Glaciers retreated back toward the Arctic, mountain glaciers melted and sea-levels rose considerably, the rate of ice melt was considerable with billions of tonnes of ice being lost every day.
10,000 YEARS AGO
The last ice-age had almost ended, temperatures had risen to within 1°C of current levels. The ice had retreated back toward the Arctic regions and was now melting at a much slower rate.
10,000 TO 8.000 YEARS AGO
Temperatures continued rising but at a much slower rate. Sea-levels continued to rise.
8,000 YEARS AGO
The temperatures peaked at their highest level for 100,000 years, only just below current levels The last ice-age had ended and Earth entered the long, slow cooling phase as it began the journey toward the next ice-age. This marked the time when glaciers were at their minimum extent. The rise in sea-levels slowed right down and came within 3m of where they are today.
8,000 TO 2,000 YEARS AGO
Sea-levels continued to rise but much more slowly, temperatures very gradually began to drop. There were regional variations in temperatures, many places cooled slightly but there were some that warmed a little. New glacial ice began to form very slowly in the Arctic and at high altitudes.
2,000 YEARS AGO
Sea-levels finally stabilised and came to rest more or less where they are today. Since the last ice-age ended the average global temperature had fallen by about 1°C. The climate had stabilised and regional variations were now more important than global ones. For example, ocean currents in the Atlantic drifted westward delivering warm water to Greenland, this caused the ice on Greenland to retreat back from the shore.
2,000 TO 1,000 YEARS AGO
Changes to the Sun became the main climatic force, particularly affecting Europe and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Temperatures rose by about 0.5°C and smaller glaciers began to melt.
1,000 YEARS AGO
This was the peak of a period known as the Medieval Warm Period.
1,000 TO 300 YEARS AGO
The Sun began to calm down and radiate less heat. The warming that had occurred in Europe was undone. Together with the underlying cooling trend the temperatures fell. Glaciers began to advance in some places, such as Scandinavia, Siberia and The Alps.
300 YEARS AGO
Europe was in the peak of the Little Ice Age, temperatures had dropped by 0.7°C to their lowest level for 10,000 years. Winters in Europe were often harsh, semi-permanent glaciers formed at lower levels and the larger and more permanent glaciers had grown in size.
300 YEARS AGO TO 150 YEARS AGO
The Sun returned to normal and the conditions of the Little Ice Age began to recede. Temperatures rose and the recently formed glaciers melted.
150 YEARS AGO
The Little Ice Age was over, the first signs of global warming began to appear.
150 TO 40 YEARS AGO
Glaciers and ice-sheets were fairly stable around the world, temperatures fluctuated a bit and there was some warming but not significantly so.
40 YEARS AGO
This marks a turning point for the glaciers, they had been stable but now they began retreating at a fantastic rate.
40 YEARS AGO TO PRESENT
There was a significant rise in temperatures, enough to cancel out all cooling since the end of the last ice-age. Glaciers around the world started retreating. Half the glaciers outside the Polar regions melted, 90% of those that remained started melting. A few isolated glaciers managed to grow. The Arctic sea ice melted at record rates, Greenland began melting as did Antarctica.
PRESENT
Today the Arctic sea-ice is at the second lowest extent for this time of year (only in 2013 was it lower), it continues to rapidly decline and will melt completely during the summer months within the next few decades, this could be the first time for 70 million years that the Arctic has been ice free.
Mountain glaciers are disappearing fast, in some places they’ve melted completely leaving those who live near them with no water supplies.
Antarctica is losing ice faster than previously thought, the sea-ice surrounding the continent has extended to its greatest extent since observations began in the 1970’s but the land ice is melting, overall ice is being lost at a rate of about 200 billion tonnes per year.
In Greenland the ice is melting faster, some 400 billion tonnes per year. Glaciers are advancing faster and breaking off into the sea.
The melting ice and warming of the oceans are causing sea-levels to rise, currently by 3.2mm a year, this is the fastest rise since they stabilised after the end of the last ice-age.
NEXT 100 YEARS
Temperatures are expected to rise by another 2°C to 3°C this will accelerate the loss of ice in Greenland, Antarctica and mountain ranges. The Arctic sea-ice will almost certainly melt completely leaving it free of ice during the summer months (it will reform each winter). Places such as Glacier National Park will need to be renamed The Former Glacier National Park, already the majority of glaciers have melted and it won’t be long before the remainder do. Sea-levels will continue to rise as the ice melts and the warmer waters expand.
BEYOND 100 YEARS
Hard to say, much depends on whether we get to grips with global warming and make significant reductions to our emissions. Even if we do, then it takes decades before the accumulated greenhouse gases are removed from the atmosphere. If we don’t act soon then the consequences will be very serious.
NOTE:
The reason that the sea-levels continued to rise after the peak of warming 8,000 years ago is because the oceans were absorbing heat from the atmosphere causing the water to warm and expand, not because ice was melting and causing levels to rise.
To a geologist (that would be me), your question is kind of like
-1850: Rivers began to flow in _________.
-1980: Rivers around the world continued to flow.
In case my point isn't obvious, Glaciers (and rivers) accumulate ice (and water) on one end and it flows down hill and generally empties either as water or ice into the ocean.
https://www.google.com/#q=glacier+repeat...
Learn to search the web so you can do your own schoolwork
https://www.google.com/search?q=glaciers...
little ice age
You need to go further back and research the little ice age 1550 to 1850, that was the period when glacier grew the most.
heres an interesting article discussing mid 19th melt
http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/events/departme...
I'm doing a social project and have to give a "brief historical timeline" of the melting of glaciers around the world. I was wondering if anyone had any specific answers? I was hoping to do this in point form (i'm just using this in a slide of my powerpoint). I don't need it to be long or anything but I can't seem to find the information I'm looking for.
I want it to be something like like this..
-1850: Glaciers began to melt in _________.
-1980: Glaciers around the world continued to melt.
I'm not really sure. Any information on this topic would be great.
Thank you!
