[keeringplastik]

Every time I read about arctic ocean ice cover and warming of the north pole it reminds me of the work of Ewing and Donn.

They theorized that the ice age cycle is driven (in conjunction with malinkovitch cycles) by loss of sea ice which then drives increased 'lake effect' snowfall across the landmass surrounding the arctic. If the snowfalls are sufficiently deep to resist summer melting, then it begins accumulating each year, increasing the albedo of the polar regions and decreasing temps.

Thus a warm ocean/cold landmass equilibrium is established which results in consistent glaciation over the ensuing millenia, until the oceans drop low enough that the source if arctic moisture is no longer present, and the rate of snowfall is less than the rate of melting.

This obviously raises the possibility that anthropogenic global warming ironically hastens the arrival of the next ice age. Could the tipping point occur within our lifetime? Something I pondered this past summer as I camped where not 100 years ago 300 feet of ice rested at Anderson glacier.