Researchers from Oxford University and NASA have stated that excessive melting of polar ice could paradoxically cause not warming, but a sudden cooling on Earth. A similar scenario has been observed in Earth’s history.
Climatologists warn: if global warming continues at its current pace, the planet could “cross a tipping point” and trigger a reverse process—a sharp cooling, analogous to the beginning of an ice age.
According to research published in the journal Nature Climate Dynamics, the excessive melting of polar ice is capable of paradoxically cooling the Earth. When huge masses of freshwater enter the ocean, its salinity and density change, which directly affects global ocean currents. In particular, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)—the “planet’s heating system.”
If the AMOC slows down or stops, the flow of warm water from the tropics to northern regions weakens, and temperatures in Europe, North America, and Asia could drop sharply.
“We risk witnessing a climate scenario in which global warming triggers its own opposite—global cooling,” explained Professor of Climatology at Oxford University, Emily West. She noted that similar events have occurred in Earth’s history—about 12,000 years ago, the planet underwent a brief but severe glacial phase known as the Younger Dryas.
Current observations show alarming trends: the rate of ice melt in Greenland is increasing, and North Atlantic water temperatures already show signs of decline. Scientists do not rule out that within a few decades, the climate in the Northern Hemisphere could change radically—winters will become more severe, crop yields will decline, and sea levels may begin to drop.
“The Earth has its own mechanisms of self-regulation, but they do not always work in favor of humanity. If humanity doesn’t reduce emissions and stop interfering with the climate system, the planet could respond radically—instead of heat, we face ice storms,” said NASA Professor Mark Johnson. The scientists stress that this is not a scenario for the immediate future, but an alarming signal. Humanity is at a critical moment in history, and how we respond to the challenges of global warming will determine whether the 21st century becomes a time of climate equilibrium or the beginning of a new ice age.
