<p>Carbon dioxide levels were much higher in the very distant past, but more recently they've been lower.  It's been below current levels since <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi5177" rel="nofollow noreferrer">about 3 million years ago</a>, which coincides with the present ice age.  When CO<span class="math-container">$_2$</span> levels were much higher tens of millions of years ago, global temperatures were also much higher (same source).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-03T19:37:38.420Z
2024-05-03T19:37:38.420Z
damp_civil
<p>If anthropogenically produced carbon dioxide has prevented the earth from entering a new ice age, why were past ice ages not prevented from occuring since carbon dioxide levels were much higher in the past than they are now?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/is-global-warming-preventing-the-next-ice-age" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Is global warming preventing the next ice age?</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/human-emissions-will-delay-next-ice-age-by-50000-years-study-says/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Human emissions will delay next ice age by 50,000 years, study says</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/human-made-climate-change-has-suppressed-the-next-ice-age-researchers-say" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Human-Made Climate Change Has Suppressed The Next Ice Age, Researchers Say</a></p>

<climate-change><atmosphere><climate><co2><ice-age>
Effect of carbon dioxide on past ice ages
Daniel J Rice
# Effect of carbon dioxide on past ice ages

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-05-03)

If anthropogenically produced carbon dioxide has prevented the earth from entering a new ice age, why were past ice ages not prevented from occuring since carbon dioxide levels were much higher in the past than they are now?

[Is global warming preventing the next ice age?](https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/is-global-warming-preventing-the-next-ice-age)

[Human emissions will delay next ice age by 50,000 years, study says](https://www.carbonbrief.org/human-emissions-will-delay-next-ice-age-by-50000-years-study-says/)

[Human-Made Climate Change Has Suppressed The Next Ice Age, Researchers Say](https://www.sciencealert.com/human-made-climate-change-has-suppressed-the-next-ice-age-researchers-say)

**Tags:** climate-change, atmosphere, climate, co2, ice-age


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-05-03. Score: 1

Carbon dioxide levels were much higher in the very distant past, but more recently they've been lower. It's been below current levels since [about 3 million years ago](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi5177), which coincides with the present ice age. When CO$\_2$ levels were much higher tens of millions of years ago, global temperatures were also much higher (same source).


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