Snowball Earth

Many things in Earth’s history are a great mystery. One of the greatest mysteries, however would be snowball Earth. Snowball Earth is the theory about an ice effect on Earth between 750 million and 590 million years ago. The theory states that Earth reached its coldest period during these millions of years allowing the planet to basically freeze over in retrospect. It is believed that Earth reached temperatures of -50°C (-74°F). These low temperatures would have frozen the planet’s surface to an icy sheet. This icy sheet would then in relation to the temperature reflect the suns radiation back into the solar system bringing about lower temperatures. The average temperature was believed to be about 20°C which is that of present day Antarctica. The climate would have been dry and cold like that of Mars.

The snowball effect is explained as somewhat of a domino effect. During the ice ages some of the suns radiation would be reflected back out into space. As this radiation was reflected back out into the solar system would increasingly cool off. This cooling would allow more ice to develop on Earth. More ice would mean more radiation reflected away into space. It was considered an ongoing cycle until the entire globe was encased in ice. This was believed to have happened during the Proterozoic glacial period.

While snowball Earth seems like a far-fetch idea it probably is because it is. The evidence against snowball Earth is substantial enough. The planet Earth once covered completely in ice and reflecting radiation from the sun back into space the Earth would have not even the slightest bit of a prayer of thawing itself and regaining ground in the evolutionary movement. Once glaciers make the move 30% from the poles to the equator then the Earth is to far gone for return.

There are some signs of evidence that a snowball effect could have happened on the Earth. These periods would be known as the ice ages. Such things as glacial deposits, tills and remnants of...