Causes of climate change

• What are the natural causes of climate change?

  Orbital changes, volcanic activity, and solar output
• What is the result of the cyclical variation in Earth's orbit?

  It results in cyclical variation in the solar radiation reaching the Earth
• What is eccentricity in relation to Earth's orbit?

  Eccentricity refers to Earth's orbit changing from elliptical to less elliptical roughly every 100,000 years
• How does the tilt of Earth's axis affect climate?

  A larger tilt leads to more extreme seasons
• What is precession in the context of Earth's orbit?

  Precession refers to the wobble of Earth while spinning, affecting the severity of seasons
• How does volcanic activity contribute to climate change?

  Volcanic eruptions release sulfur dioxide, which reflects radiation and cools the Earth
• What is the effect of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere?

  Sulfur dioxide reacts to form sulfate particles that reflect nearly all radiation
• How does solar output influence climate change?

  Solar output depends on the presence of sunspots, which vary over an 11-year cycle
• What happens to solar output during periods of large sunspot activity?

  The sun gives off more heat
• What are the three human causes of climate change?

  Use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture
• How does the burning of fossil fuels contribute to climate change?

  It increases the release of CO2, enhancing the greenhouse effect
• What is the impact of deforestation on climate change?

  It reduces the amount of CO2 that trees can absorb and releases stored carbon when trees are burned
• How does agriculture contribute to climate change?

  Farming of livestock produces methane gas, a key greenhouse gas
• What is the greenhouse effect?

  It is the process where heat from the sun is trapped by greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere
• What happens when the concentration of greenhouse gases increases?

  More heat is trapped in the atmosphere, leading to rising temperatures