Are Humans Able to Survive an Ice Age?

Ice ages are periods of global cooling characterized by vast glacial sheets, often occurring on a predictable timeline and interglacial warming periods in between each one.

Researchers believe the last Ice Age ended around 12,000 years ago. Yet they anticipate another one occurring soon enough.

What is an Ice Age?

An Ice Age is a period of global cooling that spans thousands of years, beginning when winter temperatures decrease and snowfall does not melt, creating a layer of ice at the base of our atmosphere that absorbs solar energy to further lower temperatures and slow its rotation.

Movement of tectonic plates also plays a part in altering Earth’s climate, with landmasses at higher latitudes and altitudes more susceptible to experiencing an ice age than those farther south and east. Scientists recognize short-term variations in Sun brightness and radiation – known as Milankovitch cycles – as contributing factors to both the start and duration of an ice age.

An Ice Age sees immense glaciers move in waves, altering the terrain as they advance and retreat. Glaciers may reach two miles thick at their thickest points and have enough weight to push mountain ranges across the planet, leaving vast regions uninhabitable and forcing cold-weather species to move southwards in search of warmer conditions.

How did Homo sapiens survive an Ice Age?

Earth’s climate has experienced dramatic fluctuations since prehistory began, including periods of extreme cold followed by warmer ones that can have devastating consequences for plant and animal species as well as for humans themselves.

Researchers studying fossils from sites throughout Europe in order to shed light on how Homo sapiens managed to emerge from the last Ice Age have come up with interesting discoveries. According to their studies, hunter-gatherer communities located within today’s parts of southern France, Spain, and Portugal emerged much sooner from it than previously believed.

Early modern humans achieved success by adopting technologies like bone needles and finding ways to shelter from the cold. They learned about their environment through art, song, and story-telling; gathering data about edible plants, animal migrations, and weather patterns. And their brains developed with larger parietal cortexes for visual input integration as well as motor skills integration, giving them a distinct advantage against predators.

What are the impacts of a New Ice Age?

Humans’ carbon emissions could trigger another Ice Age sooner than scientists anticipate, even if we manage to control them sufficiently to postpone its arrival for some time. Global temperatures would likely remain significantly colder than they have been for the last 11000 years and this could result in food shortages, infrastructure damage, and other negative repercussions for humanity as a society.

• Our ancestors survived the last Ice Age by developing new technologies and social structures.
• They also drew upon their adaptability, resilience, and resourcefulness to quickly respond to changing environmental conditions as hunter-gatherers; ultimately laying down the foundation for later civilizations.

At the height of the last Ice Age, much of North America and Europe was covered with glaciers as well as some areas in Africa. Yet despite such extreme cold, land immediately south of these glaciers was warmer with numerous plant species such as grasses and flowers as well as large mammals like reindeer and musk ox living there.

What can we do to prepare for a New Ice Age?

Around 12,000 years ago, vast ice sheets that covered half of Earth’s surface receded, clearing away space for human civilization to thrive. But don’t be fooled into thinking the Ice Age has ended completely; scientists just need to determine when.

One of the largest impacts would be food shortages, due to it becoming much harder for farms to grow crops in cold and snowy environments. This could lead to widespread starvation and famine around the world.

Our ancestors knew how to prepare for another Ice Age by finding shelter from wind and snow, such as rock shelters. These roomy depressions in riverbed walls had overhangs to shield them from strong winds; large hides could be draped from these overhangs in order to shield from blizzards, while internal tent-like structures allowed for comfortable movement and sleeping arrangements. They had extensive knowledge of nature which they communicated through art such as that found in Lascaux and Chauvet caves.