Climate variability and change
Orbital variations

Slight variations in Earth's motion lead to changes in the seasonal distribution of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface and how it is distributed across the globe. There is very little change to the area-averaged annually averaged sunshine; but there can be strong changes in the geographical and seasonal distribution. The three types of kinematic change are variations in Earth's eccentricity, changes in the tilt angle of Earth's axis of rotation, and precession of Earth's axis. Combined, these produce Milankovitch cycles which affect climate and are notable for their correlation to glacial and interglacial periods, their correlation with the advance and retreat of the Sahara, and for their appearance in the stratigraphic record.

During the glacial cycles, there was a high correlation between CO concentrations and temperatures. Early studies indicated that CO concentrations lagged temperatures, but it has become clear that this is not always the case. When ocean temperatures increase, the solubility of CO decreases so that it is released from the ocean. The exchange of CO between the air and the ocean can also be impacted by further aspects of climatic change. These and other self-reinforcing processes allow small changes in Earth's motion to have a large effect on climate.
combination:two_responses, language:response_language[Spanish]