The Polar Position Hypothesis
qThe polar position hypothesis focused on latitudinal position as a cause of
glaciation of continents.
qThis hypothesis suggested that ice sheets should appear on continents when
they are located at polar or near-polar latitudes.
qTo explain the occurrence of
icehouse intervals, this hypothesis calls not on worldwide climate changes but simply
on the movements of continents on tectonic plates.
qThis hypothesis can not explain the
climate of the Late Proterozoic Era, when both
continents and glaciers appear to have been situated at relatively low
latitudes.
qIt can not explain the warm Mesozoic
Era when high-latitude continents were present but were almost completely ice-free.
(from
Earth’s Climate: Past and Future)