Natural Causes of Climate Change

• Axial Tilt (Obliquity)


  • Happens due to gravity of planet pulling the planet from straight to angular.
  • Overtime, angle of tilt changes about every 41,000 years
• Eccentricity (Stretch)


  • Earth's orbit can be circular and even all year
  • Other times it is more elliptical
  • Changes about every 100,000 years
  • When in a circular orbit, it has the same sun and environment all year round.
  • When in an elliptical orbit, environment changes due to difference in solar energy.
• Volcanic Eruptions


  • Lots of volcanic material released into the atmosphere
  • The sun's rays are reflected back off the volcanic aerosol clouds
  • Earth's surface cools as the sun's rays don't reach it
  • Leads to short term changes in weather
• Sunspots


  • Storms on the surface of the sun
  • During sunspots, solar flares occur
  • More sunspots = hotter climate
  • Changes every 11 years
• Precession


  • Earth's wobbling
  • Happens every 26,000 years
• What is the Milankovich cycles?


  Orbital Change