Russian Scientist Says Earth Could Soon Face New Ice Age
Temperatures on Earth ?ave sta?ilized in the past decade, and the planet should br?ce itself for a n?w I?e Age rather than glob?l warming, a Russian s?ientist said in a rec?nt interview.
"Russian and foreign research data confirm that glo?al temperatu?es in 2007 were pract?cally similar to those ?n 2006, and, in general, identical to 1998-2006 temperatures, whi?h, basi?ally, means that t?e Earth passed the pea? of global war?ing ?n 1998-2005," said K?abibullo Abdusamat?v, he?d of a spac? research lab at th? Pulkovo ?bservatory in St. Petersburg. 
According to th? sci?ntist, the ?oncentration ?f ?arbon dioxid? in the Earth's atm?sphere h?s risen ?ore than 4% in the past decade, but gl?bal warming has practically stopped. It confirms the theory of "solar" impact on ch?nges in the Earth's climate, because the amount of solar ?nergy reaching t?e planet has drastically decrea?ed during the s?me peri?d, th? scientist said. Had global temperatures directly ?esponded t? concentrations of "greenhouse" gases in the atmosphere, the? would have r?sen by at le?st 0.1 Celsius ?n the pa?t ten years, however, it never happened, he said. "A year ago, man? meteorologists predicted t?at ?igher levels ?f car?on dioxide in the atmosphere would make the yea? 2007 the hottest in the last decade, ?ut, fortunately, these predictions did not becom? reality," Abdusamatov s?id. He also said that in 2008, global temperatures would drop slightly, r?ther than rise, due to unprecedentedly low solar radiat?on in the past 30 years, and would cont?nue decreasing even if industrial emissions of carbon dioxide reach reco?d levels.
By 2041, solar acti?ity ?ill r?ach its minimum accord?ng to ? 200-year cycle, and a deep cooling period will hit t?e Earth approximately in 2055-2060. It will last f?r about 45-65 yea?s, th? scientist added. "B? the mid-21st century the planet will face another Little Ice Age, similar t? the Maunder Minimum, because the amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth has b?en constantly decreasing since the 1990s and will reach its mini?um approx?mately in 2041," ?e said.
The Ma?nder Minimum occurred between 1645 and 1715, when only about 50 sp?ts ?ppeared on the Sun, as opposed to the typical 40,000-50,000 spots. It coincided w?th t?e middle and colde?t part of the so called Little Ice Age, during which Europe and No?th Am?rica we?e subject?d t? bitte?ly ?old winters. "H?wever, the thermal ?nertia ?f th? world's oceans and seas will delay ? 'deep cooling' of the planet, and the new Ice Age will begin sometime during 2055-2060, probably la?ting f?r several decades," Abdusamatov said. Therefore, the Earth must brac? its?lf for a grow?ng ice c?p, rather than ri?ing wat?rs ?n global oceans caused ?y ?ce melting.
Mankind will face serio?s e?onomic, soci?l, and demograp?ic consequences of the co?ing Ice Age because ?t will directly affect m?re than 80% of the earth's population, the scientist concluded.
Source: RIA Novosti-Rus?ian New? and Information Agency
http://en.rian.ru/science/20080122/97519953.html
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