Human carbon emissions may be delaying onset of next ice age
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029508
BBC : Because Earth’s orbit around the Sun is not perfectly circular and the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation changes over time, the amount of solar radiation that reaches the planet’s surface varies. Less radiation causes extended cold periods, called ice ages, and more radiation results in warmer periods, known as interglacials. Although Earth’s orbit is positioned such that Earth should be entering a new ice age, it is not. The reason may be due, at least in part, to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, according to a new study published in Nature. In fact, if humans continue to emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the next ice age will likely be postponed by at least 100 000 years; with zero anthropogenic emissions going forward, the planet will not enter another ice age for 50 000 years.