The Transformative Impact of the Warm Ice Age on Earth's Climate Cycles
A new study published in Nature suggests that approximately 670,000 to 800,000 years ago, the Earth experienced a warm ice age, known as the late Middle Pleistocene Transition (MPT), which led to a permanent shift in global glacial cycles. Researchers analyzed records of ocean temperatures and forest cover to simulate late MPT climate and found increased winter precipitation in southwest Europe and stronger East Asia summer monsoons. The study suggests that the warmer ocean temperatures fueled the growth of ice sheets, triggering a shift from 40,000-year glacial cycles to the longer and more severe 100,000-year cycles experienced today.