Fossil Fuel Burning May Have Stopped a New Ice Age

A study in Science found that the Barnes Ice Cap on Baffin Island began growing about 2,000 years ago, possibly signaling a new glaciation, but has retreated an average of 4 meters per year since the 1980s as carbon emissions rose. Researchers say human-caused warming has already reversed 2,000 years of ice growth.

• The Barnes Ice Cap began growing about 2,000 years ago, possibly starting a new ice age
• Its edges have retreated an average of 4 meters per year since the 1980s
• Modern retreat has reversed 2,000 years of net ice expansion
• Beryllium-10 dating shows the ice cap reached its current size about 3,600 years ago