GEOG 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Ocean Current, Thermostat, Stellar Magnetic Field
Document Summary
Episodic nature of earth"s glacial and interglacial periods within present ice age (last couple million years) have been caused by cyclical changes in earth"s circumnavigation of the sun. Variations in earth"s eccentricity, axial tilt, and precession comprise the 3 dominant cycles, collectively known as the milankovitch cycles for milutin milankovitch, the serbian astronomer who is generally credited with calculating their magnitude. Together variations in these 3 cycles creates alterations in seasonality of solar radiation reach earth. These increased or decreased radiation directly influence the the climate system this influence the advance and retreat of earth"s glaciers. Note: climate change and subsequent periods of glaciation, resulting from the. Mc is not due to total amount of solar energy reach earth"s surface. First of 3 mc; it is the shape of the earth"s orbit around the sun. This constant fluctuating orbital shape ranges b/w more and less elliptical (0-5% ellipticity) on a cycle of about 100k years.
