Throughout the history of planet Earth, there have been five distinct ice ages. Scientists have identified the key factors contributing to the planet's cooling during these periods. The first factor is Earth's orbit and Solar radiation. The second is the reduction of greenhouse gases such as carbon and methane. The third is the thermohaline circulation. Volcanic eruptions can also have short-term effects because they block sunlight. There may be other factors that still need to be clarified. This episode introduces the quaternary-related thermohaline circulation, which began 2.7 million years ago.

01:31 Antarctic Circumpolar Current explained
05:36 Energy transfer by ocean flow
10:34 On-off model of The conveyor belt theory

#iceage #Thermohaline #climatechange