
“The Big Freeze” from 1944 - 1976
The world witnessed 33 years of global cooling from 1944 to 1976 - hailed around the world as 'The Big Freeze'.
The media announced it with eye catching headlines. But the mysterious Ice Age simply vanished. The cooling had taken place just as industrial output surged after WWII, sending CO₂ concentrations shooting up. If CO₂ really was the ruler of temperature, this cooling phase should have been impossible. Instead, the data exposed a complex tug-of-war.
The industrial boom had released sulfate aerosols (smog) into the atmosphere that reflected sunlight away from Earth. This is what caused the lingering cool spell. It goes to show that solar cycles, volcanic activity and atmospheric particulates can—and usually do—override all expectations for decades at a time. But the ice balloon finally popped and so did the elusive Ice Age.
It shows how variable the climate can be if we ignore all the variables; the aerosols, the power of ocean currents or the supreme power of the Sun. If we fixate on only one solitary trace gas - then we forfeit our sense of planetary climate.
The 'Big Freeze' Time magazine cover was published on December 3, 1973.
@PeterDClack - X