The very rapid and nearly instantaneous end of so-called glacial periods is very likely caused by massive, short-lived pulses of super-heated seawater emitted from major ocean faults termed spreading centers (Figure 1).

This bold claim is supported by reinterpretation and then integration of two research studies; Lamont Doherty University 2015and MIT 2019.  The Lamont Doherty research study concluded that well-known cyclical variations in Earth’s circumnavigation of the Sun, specifically eccentricity, axial tilt, and precession collectively known as Milankovitch Cycles, directly affect our climate by switching the climate status from warm interglacial periods to cool glacial periods.  Reinterpretation of certain portions of the Lamont Doherty research leads to the following explanation of exactly how Milankovitch Cycles act to switch Earth’s climate status back and forth between glacial and interglacial periods.

During a Milankovitch Cycle, two of Earth’s major rock layers, the outer crust, and upper mantle layers, are placed in a state of greatly increased gravitational stress. Outer-crust rock-layer segments termed tectonic plates respond to this increased stress by actively moving laterally or apart at a much faster rate.  This increased movement acts to violently fracture and open ocean floor spreading-center faults which form the boundaries of many tectonic plates. Now fractured and open spreading center faults tap downward into deep Earth hot lava chambers.

Figure 2: Illustration of seafloor spreading.

This process triggers major pulses of volcanism upward along the open faults and into the overlying ocean.  In addition to expulsing hot lava into the ocean floors, these volcanic pulses also emit massive amounts of super-heated and chemically charged (CO2 and methane) fluid into oceans and atmosphere.  The effect of these geologically induced volcanic pulses is to rapidly and almost instantaneously end so-called glacial periods.  This hypothesis is greatly strengthened by the conclusions of the April 2019 MIT study which demonstrated that the abrupt and nearly instantaneous end of so-called glacial periods is caused by geological forces, specifically the cyclical movement of tectonic plates.  Not specifically stated in their conclusions, but quite obvious is that attributing the end so-called glacial periods to atmospheric or solar forces is no longer correct!

Next, let’s look at historical atmospheric temperatures and CO2 concentrations during the last 400,000 years, which represents the last four so-called glacial and interglacial periods (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Historical atmospheric temperatures and CO2 concentrations.

Figure 3 graph demonstrates the following:

• So-called glacial periods (blue hatched) end nearly instantaneously.

• Duration of so-called interglacial periods (red shading) is 2-5,000 years.

• The End of glacial periods occurs on a very regular basis, approximately every 100,000 years. it is important to note that the most intense Milankovitch Cycles occur every 100,000 years in time association with the end of glacial periods

• Lastly, interglacial periods do not maintain constant, uniform atmospheric temperatures or CO2 concentrations. Rather, temperatures progressively cool through time and CO2 concentration progressively increase through time.

So why in this article are glacial and interglacial periods preceded with the phrase “so-called”?  Because reinterpretation and then integration of the MIT Study, Lamont Doherty Study, and other important data strongly indicates that there are no such things as glacial periods, interglacial periods or Ice Ages  There is only a geologically induced three  step process as described in Figure 3 and listed below:

Reoccurring worldwide geologically induced volcanic pulses that are associated with movement of major seafloor tectonic plates. This movement and subsequent worldwide seafloor volcanism acts to instantaneously interrupt and degrade Earth’s natural and normal climate status

Recovery Period when earth attempts to recover from this geological event.  The recovery is a slow and complex process involving interactive adjustments of ocean, land and atmosphere.  These adjustments act to alter the relationship of ocean, land and atmospheric parameters in a varying ratio, magnitude and duration.  For instance, at certain times in the recovery process the relationship of a warmed atmospheric temperature is not aligned with the time equivalent atmospheric CO2 concentration. This relationship is referred to as a “CO2 lag”.  This lag is not evidence that CO2 doesn’t warm he atmosphere. It does warm the atmosphere, but only in a very insignificant value.  The actual reason for this so-called CO2 lag is as follows.   After the instantaneous volcanic pulse, ocean temperatures rapidly increase in response to heat transfer and massive expulsions of methane.  This rapidly heated ocean is not capable of retaining high concentrations of CO2.  However, unlike temperature and methane the ocean does not immediately release CO2.  Release of ocean CO2 does immediately occur because this gas does entirely and quickly evacuate into the overly atmosphere.  So, there is no so-called lag, only different times of release for different gases.

Normal Climate Status.  Eventually, the recovery process achieves a stabilized and normal climate status (Figure 3) which during the last 400,000 years can best be characterized as cool temperatures and extensive ice sheet coverage.  Stated in a more direct way, there are no such things as glacial periods, interglacial periods, or Ice Ages.

Instead, just a major geological event and then recovery to normal.

Reference

Hydrothermal carbon release to the ocean and atmosphere from the eastern equatorial Pacific during the last glacial termination
Lowell D Stott, Kathleen M Harazin, and Nadine B Quintana Krupinski
Published 15 February 2019 • © 2019 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aafe28/meta