EARTH SCIENCE
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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they change the amount of energy in the climate system
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they change the amount of direct sunlight the Earth receives
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they change the amount of heat the atmosphere retains
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they change the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
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Detailed explanation-1: -Although Milankovitch cycles have nothing to do with the current climate change, they are believed to have dictated Earth’s climate for millions of years, making the planet swing periodically between tens to hundreds of thousands-year long ice ages and warmer periods called interglacials, such as the one we live in.
Detailed explanation-2: -A century ago, Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovitch hypothesized the long-term, collective effects of changes in Earth’s position relative to the Sun are a strong driver of Earth’s long-term climate, and are responsible for triggering the beginning and end of glaciation periods (Ice Ages).
Detailed explanation-3: -The three elements of Milankovitch cycles are eccentricity, obliquity, and precession (Figure 3). Eccentricity describes the degree of variation of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun from circular to more elliptical.
Detailed explanation-4: -The three Milankovitch Cycles impact the seasonality and location of solar energy around the Earth, thus impacting contrasts between the seasons.