Detroit evening times., 1945-08-05
If Science Knew Whof
Caused Them. Maybe We
Gould Tell Whether More
GIuciuI InVosions Are In
Store for Us
BY HAROLD o. WHITNALL., Sci, ID.
Late Professor of Geology
Colgate University
BY HAROLD o. wHITNALL, Sci, d.

Late Professor of Geology
Colgate University
~CIENCE has been able 10 answer lot of
questions about the ice approximately
- how many there We're their extent, where
the glaciers originated, how deep the ice was,
what kind OF human, animal and plant life existed
But two major problems remain 10 be solved,
and until geologists can supply the answers.
our future civilization is going 10 be dangling
less Htcrally-between ice devil and
the deep blue
The most battling question is what caused the
ice ages. II we knew that, we might be lot
nearer the-Selutiaa- of the other puz2ler-
whether we have left the ice ages behind us and
are headed toward prolonged era of warmth. or
whether we are now living in inter glacial
period with another ice age 10
survey made not long ago by J. c kincer,
eitf t7f tt ett and crop section of ti1C tuItcd
States Weather Bureau. showed that during the
last 100 years the average temperatures in the
middle ATTITUDES OF the northern hemisphere had
taken an Irregular but decidedly upward SWING.
ff1C SdTUC was tTUc N the southern hemisphere,
although the trend was not quite 50 noticeable
There no indication, he said, Of any recession.
Although 100 years is less than a second
in the span of any geological period, this might
be taken a sign that the world is due for
warm epoch in which the arctic and antarctic -
VIII melt and general Sub-ropical VeGeiau n
viii flourish there as they did once before ~
If that happens, and the ceShccts pICCptate
their watcry reserves into the oceans the sea
level is bound 90 rise. But how far Some
scientists say that the sites OF what are now
coast cities will most certainly be inundated.
isn't enodgh ice left at either pole or in the
mighty Greenland ice cap 20 raise the level more
than a foot or two and even then the rise would
be gradual that il would hardly be noticed
But, on the other hand, IL another ice age is
in store the ocean levels can be expected 10 drop
from 200 10 300 feet That would mean startling
change in the shape of the continents
In North America, for example the whole
northern half of the continent would be a vast
frozen wilderness If the flowing ice acted as ii
did such a comparatively short time ago 25,0OO
years, the southern boundary OF the glaciated
area would run through Long Island from east TO
west and on across the mainland In an Irregular
line through Easton. Pa, Cincinnati, st Louis
Kansas City and Topeka. Then il would turn
north until il reached the Dakotas, would cross
the Rockies in irregular course and finally hit
the Pacific at about Tacoma. Wash.
pUT in spite Of the loss Of all this land, the
amount of living space in North America might
not be much less than IL was before. Tremendous
areas Of Now land would be left by the sinking
oceans, particularly toward the south and IN the
Gulf of Mexico.
There are differences Of opinion on how much
OF this added lebcnSraum could be utilized com.
fortably. Because ice ages aree emore the result
OF an increase in the precipitation OF snow than an
excessive decrease in temperature, some argue
that the climate in this new area and even in
sections close to the glacatcd regions might be
comparatively mild
Evidence from the last big freeze has been
advanced TO dispute that theory During the
maximum advance of the ice in Europe, men lived
i'm caves along the region of the Mediterranean.
at the point where France and Italy meet
mains from their ancient hearthS contain cooke,
reindeer and mastOdon bones which would seem
10 indicate that chilling blasts from tho ice front
500 or 700 miles north had brought the Mcditer-
ranean climate to the subarctic class
Masodon bones have also been found in our
Gulf states, indicating that the temperature there
may have been considerably less than balmy when
Illustrated by O1ni Brown