How do the Milankovitch cycles affect climate change?

Question

Olivia Aldridge · Accepted Answer

The Milankovitch cycles can have a significant effect on climate change.

Since the Earth's orbit is constantly shifting due to the gravitational pull of the Sun, Moon, and other planets, there are actually three separate Milankovitch cycles, all of which are extremely long and have a major impact on climate. The Earth's orbit is currently almost circular. There is only a #3%# difference between the distance from the Sun at perihelion and aphelion. The Earth's orbit gets more and less elliptical over a period of 100,000 years. When the orbit is more elliptical the seasons are more extreme. The axial tilt varies between #21.5^@# and #24.5^@# over a period of 41,000 years. It is currently at #23.5^@#. The greater the tilt, the more extreme the difference between seasons. The last event is the 23,000-year perihelion precession, which occurs around January 4; since water makes up the majority of the southern hemisphere, this precession has minimal impact. However, when perihelion precesses until July, there will once more be notable seasonal variations. Therefore, if the three cycles coincide, their effects could have a big impact on the climate. However, human production of #CO_2# has overridden these effects in recent year and needs to be stopped to prevent major climatic changes.

Ivy Allen · Answer

They clearly have little impact, or climatologists would have seen a repetitive 26 000 year cycle in their data as the fundamental period, they have not.

[I posted similar views (with evidence) a couple of months ago in response to a very similar question and got a 'heated' response.] This is an increasingly common 'get out' by people with a political view about climate change: that it is "all just part of a natural cycle". I think it is true that Milankovitch cycles have some impact on climate, but it is dwarfed (currently) by human induced climate change due to #CO_2#, methane and other emissions.

Nova Adams · Answer

undefined The Milankovitch cycles are periodic changes in Earth's orbit and axial tilt. These cycles influence the distribution of sunlight on Earth's surface, which can lead to variations in climate over long periods of time, contributing to ice ages and interglacial periods.

Alexander Acosta · Answer

undefined Milankovitch cycles are a set of cyclic changes in the Earth's orbit and axial tilt that occur over long periods of time. These cycles include variations in the eccentricity of Earth's orbit, the tilt of Earth's axis (obliquity), and the precession of Earth's axis. These variations in the Earth's orbit and axial tilt can affect the distribution and intensity of solar radiation reaching different parts of the Earth's surface.

The Milankovitch cycles are thought to play a role in driving natural climate variability over long timescales, including the onset and duration of ice ages. Changes in the amount and distribution of solar radiation due to variations in the Earth's orbit and axial tilt can influence factors such as seasonal patterns, the extent of ice sheets, and ocean circulation patterns.

However, it's important to note that Milankovitch cycles operate over timescales of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, and they are just one of many factors influencing climate change. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have been the primary drivers of climate change in recent history, leading to more rapid and pronounced changes in global temperature and climate patterns compared to the natural variations associated with Milankovitch cycles.