An additional planet as a model for the Pleistocene Ice Age

Abstract

We propose a model for the Pleistocene Ice Age, assuming the following scenario: Between 3 Myr and 11.5 kyr BP a Mars-sized object existed which moved in a highly eccentric orbit. Originating from this object, gas clouds with a complex dynamics reduced Earth's insolation and caused a drop in the global temperature. In a close encounter, 11.5 kyr ago, tidal forces deformed the Earth. While the shape of the gyroscope Earth relaxed, the North Pole moved geographically from Greenland to its present position. During this close encounter, the object was torn to pieces, each of which subsequently evaporated or plunged into the sun. These events terminated the Ice Age Epoch.