How can we find evidence for past ice ages?
How do we know about past ice ages? Scientists have reconstructed past ice ages by piecing together information derived from studying ice cores, deep sea sediments, fossils, and landforms. Ice and sediment cores reveal an impressive detailed history of global climate.
When did we first know about climate change?
The history of the scientific discovery of climate change began in the early 19th century when ice ages and other natural changes in paleoclimate were first suspected and the natural greenhouse effect was first identified.
How did scientists know about the Ice Age?
How do scientists know about ice ages? Scientists have figured out when past ice ages likely occurred by studying the geology of the land. Scientists also study the chemicals in rocks and fossil evidence to determine when ice ages have occurred.
How do scientists measure Earth’s ancient climate?
Clues about the past climate are buried in sediments at the bottom of the oceans, locked away in coral reefs, frozen in glaciers and ice caps, and preserved in the rings of trees. Each of these natural recorders provides scientists with information about temperature, precipitation, and more.
How does the climate change work?
As the earth’s atmosphere heats up, it collects, retains, and drops more water, changing weather patterns and making wet areas wetter and dry areas drier. Higher temperatures worsen and increase the frequency of many types of disasters, including storms, floods, heat waves, and droughts.
Why do scientists think the ice age happened?
The geological record appears to show that ice ages start when the continents are in positions which block or reduce the flow of warm water from the equator to the poles and thus allow ice sheets to form. The ice sheets increase Earth’s reflectivity and thus reduce the absorption of solar radiation.