Canadian Ice Cap That Began Growing 2,000 Years Ago Started Shrinking in the 1960s Amid Human-Caused Warming

Summary

Smithsonian Magazine reports that all that remains of a gargantuan North American ice sheet, which once covered nearly 30 percent of the continent, is a Delaware-sized ice cap in Canada. Scientists found that this ice cap began to expand around 2,000 years ago, a sign of a new ice age, but it started shrinking in the 1960s. The article's headline attributes the recent reversal to human-caused climate change.

Timeline

1. Smithsonian Magazine

   27 Oct 2026, 14:00 UTCSource ↗

   Smithsonian Magazine reports that a Delaware-sized ice cap in Canada, the remnant of a former North American ice sheet, began expanding around 2,000 years ago, a sign of a new ice age, but began shrinking in the 1960s due to human-caused climate change, according to new research.