poly: Re:ancient ice age?

>> I know there's
evidence that a bit before the Cambrian the Earth was very nearly in a
total ice age. The Varangian glaciation, with glacial striations on
rocks thought to have been within a few degrees of the equator at the
time. One of my professors, Joe Kirschvink, was very big on this, so I
can't remember if this is an accepted fact or a controversial idea I was
saturated in. (And again, I'm behind the grinding edge of geology.)

I think that may have been a mistake. Recent word is that some sites that
were thought to be near the equator at that point may have been at higher
latitudes. But it's tentative. Are you still in touch with Kirschvink?
(We lived in the same house as undergrads. Say hi for me.) You might ask
him about this. Anyone who's at UCLA might also ask Dr. Schopff. Was
there almost a deep freeze? Or was it an illusion?

Oh, speaking of Schopff, if any of you live near UCLA, there is a wonderful
Polymath discussion gathering, held each Wednesday at the Center for
Evolution and the Origin of Life. Tuly diverse and wide-ranging.
Received on Wed Jan 21 23:51:37 1998