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Article: A dusty way to break the ice age spell.(atmospheric dust could have causes warming during last ice age)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- January 11, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Motes of floating dust may seem insubstantial, but they have the power to change the world. Computer simulations of Earth's climate suggest that atmospheric dust may have triggered repeated warm spells during the last ice age and could even have ended that glacial period more than 10,000 years ago.
From measurements of ancient particles trapped in glaciers, scientists know that the atmosphere was far dustier during the ice age than it is now. According to traditional climate theory, this dust helped maintain cool conditions by blocking sunlight. The computer simulations, which model both atmosphere and oceans, suggest a far more complex effect of dust, says Jonathan ...