ESS101C
Prof.
Jin-Yi Yu
The Last Glacial Maximum (21,000 Years Ago)
qSeasonal insolation levels
21,000 years ago
were nearly identical to those today.
qThe only factors that can
explain the colder and
drier glacial maximum climate 21,000 years ago are:
(1) the large ice
sheets
(2) the lower values of
greenhouse gases.
(from Earth’s Climate: Past and Future)