this is a weird question but would an ice age affect the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere?

-- colin elder (belder23@aol.com), May 07, 2001

Answers

I don't know if the ice age would change the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere, but i know that anthroplogists can use oxygen levels in the ocean floor to tell about the ages of things.

-- Chan'non Goodrich (Chibimercury@excite.com), May 07, 2001.

Ice ages exist because of a dramatic change in climate. With the entire planet much cooler than we see today, there is less evaporation of water containing the oxygen isotope Oxygen 18 vs. Oxygen 16 and can be measured in ice cores i.e. Greenland.

With more of the continents covered with ice, less vegetation will be available to convert CO2 to O2.

Definitely not a weird question.

-- (anorthosite@netscape.net), February 25, 2002.