World History

Global Warming: Historical Cycles

To understand the phenomenon of global warming, one needs to look at the history of climate patterns over the ages.

For instance, when the Danes settled Greenland over one thousand years ago there was much less ice there. But we need to go back even further.

Many centuries ago the earth was tilted on a different axis. It is now acknowledged that the earth’s axis rotates on a 22,600-odd year cycle. The magnetic poles have shifted in many directions on a regular basis, which we can demonstrate historically and archeologically.

What else influences our climate?

The difference in tilt of the axis with the south away from the sun saw the levels of precipitation increase in Africa. There was thus a higher incidence of fresh water lakes in Africa, Australia and elsewhere. This explains the Piry Reis map of 1513 (compiled from ancient maps in the library at Alexandria before it was burnt by Muslims in the seventh century) showing rivers and lakes in Africa where now there are only depressions and desert (cf. Cyrus Gordon, Before Columbus, Turnstone Press Ltd, 1972, pp. 71-73).

Factors of Change:

1. Rotation of the Earth’s Axis

The El Nino/ La Nina Effects via temperature changes over the Pacific on a regular basis:

Catastrophic events:

- major floods  e.g. 1513 massive floods in Holland

- volcanic activity

- earthquakes

-  tsunamis

To name a few.

Fluctuations of sea levels are caused by

o        Earthquakes

o        Movements of the caps – at present the North Pole is totally in water and the South Pole is on land – melted ice from Poles on land will increase the sea levels.

o        There is enough ice on the Greenland cap to raise world sea levels by 6 metres and the same amount in the West Antarctic basin. Melt of the East Antarctic basin would lift world sea levels over 60 metres.  Superheating will cause up to another 30 metres.

o        If the North Pole was on land it would drop world...