<p>Apparently, the forcing of the Milankovitch cycli are enough to cross the tipping point for climate change. <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles#/media/File%3AMilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Measurements of Vostok ice core data and Milankovitch orbital parameters.</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-08T04:47:40.883Z
please expand your answer and include an explanation about why this happens.
trond hansen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-07T23:13:50.923Z
2019-10-07T23:13:50.923Z
BramAppel
<p>We hear a lot about positive feedbacks when it comes to global warming. For example: ice reflects solar radiation, so as the ice melts more solar radiation is absorbed which accelerates warming; rising temperatures create more deserts; release of stored methane; water-vapour feedback; etc.</p>

<p>With so many positive feedbacks it would seem that once the earth has flipped out of an ice age it would take an absolutely tremendous amount of change to get us back into one. Yet the explanations given for the onset and offset of ice ages (subtle orbital variations, continental movements) do not seem that great.</p>

<p>So how can these subtle changes ever be enough to flip us back into an ice age? </p>

<p>Do we have long time span climate-models to validate our theories?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-09T21:09:23.950Z
["No one knows what causes a glacial termination (the sudden warming of the Earth and melting of the ice sheets) or what causes a glacial inception (the not quite as sudden cooling of the Earth and growing of ice sheets)."](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/27184) There are [hypotheses](http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/02/what-triggers-ice-ages/) .
Keith McClary
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T05:23:52.093Z
keepin mind a lot of the feedback loops also work in reverse.
John
<climate-change><earth-history><climate-models><ice-age>
With so many positive feedbacks accelerating global warming, how did the earth ever re-enter ice ages after it came out of one?
Alex Jonathan Henderson
# With so many positive feedbacks accelerating global warming, how did the earth ever re-enter ice ages after it came out of one?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-10-04)

We hear a lot about positive feedbacks when it comes to global warming. For example: ice reflects solar radiation, so as the ice melts more solar radiation is absorbed which accelerates warming; rising temperatures create more deserts; release of stored methane; water-vapour feedback; etc.

With so many positive feedbacks it would seem that once the earth has flipped out of an ice age it would take an absolutely tremendous amount of change to get us back into one. Yet the explanations given for the onset and offset of ice ages (subtle orbital variations, continental movements) do not seem that great.

So how can these subtle changes ever be enough to flip us back into an ice age?

Do we have long time span climate-models to validate our theories?

**Tags:** climate-change, earth-history, climate-models, ice-age

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: ["No one knows what causes a glacial termination (the sudden warming of the Earth and melting of the ice sheets) or what causes a glacial inception (the not quite as sudden cooling of the Earth and growing of ice sheets)."](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/27184) There are [hypotheses](http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/02/what-triggers-ice-ages/) .  
> **username_2**: keepin mind a lot of the feedback loops also work in reverse.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-10-07. Score: -2

Apparently, the forcing of the Milankovitch cycli are enough to cross the tipping point for climate change. [Measurements of Vostok ice core data and Milankovitch orbital parameters.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles#/media/File%3AMilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: please expand your answer and include an explanation about why this happens.  

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