The last ice age maximum cooling ended about 12,000 years ago, and the warming from that ended about 6,000 years ago.\u00a0 Since Antarctic glaciers and sometimes the Greenland glaciers have been diminishing ever since the Ice Age. In analogy with an ice chest almost out of ice, this can slightly accelerate recent warming. Additionally the water being added by the melting glaciers is likely a factor in the recent stratification of the oceans (where lower colder water is not getting to the surface).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Current studies indicate that changes in CO2 levels have most often lagged the start and end of ice ages. Some think that the CO2 amplified the swings, others that it is a symptom of them.\u00a0However, none of these CO2 changes were caused by humans. All scientists agree that the ice ages were initiated by changes in the earth\u2019s orbit and inclination1<\/a><\/sup>, and also ended by these, or by geothermal events.<\/p>\n\n\n