Earth Has Had Sharp Climatic Shifts In Past: Is Earth Nearing Another Tipping Point?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 - 12:21
in Earth & Climate
In the Earth’s history, periods of relatively stable climate have often been interrupted by sharp transitions to a contrasting state. For instance, glaciation periods typically ended suddenly. About 34 million years ago the Earth’s long lasting tropical state in which most recent life forms evolved, shifted abruptly and irreversibly to a cooler state with ice caps. This shift is known as the "Greenhouse-Icehouse-Transition".