Natural climate change processes

Natural Climate Change Processes

Solar Variations

• The Earth’s climate is significantly influenced by variations in solar radiation.
• Sunspots, dark patches on the Sun’s surface, can increase solar radiation, leading to warmer conditions on Earth.
• The Sun goes through cycles of high and low activity approximately every 11 years, influencing Earth’s climate.

Volcanic Activity

• Volcanoes emit large quantities of greenhouse gases and particulate matter.
• A significant eruption can cool the planet by blocking sunlight, known as a volcanic winter.
• However, the long-term climate effect of volcanic eruptions is typically a warming due to increased levels of greenhouse gases.

Planetary Movements

• Changes in Earth’s orbit (known as Milankovitch cycles) influence the amount of sunlight the planet receives and consequently its climate.
• The axial tilt of the Earth also varies over time affecting the severity of seasons.
• Precession, a change in the direction in the axis of rotation of the Earth, impacts global temperatures and seasonality as well.

Atmospheric Gas Concentrations

• The concentration of gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide and methane, significantly influence our climate.
• These gases are part of the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect, trapping heat and maintaining a livable global temperature.

Oceanic Processes

• The thermal circulation of the oceans has a significant impact on climate by distributing heat around the globe.
• Phenomenon like El Niño and La Niña alter the distribution of warm and cold water in the Pacific, which can impact climate globally.

Bio-Geological Processes

• Living organisms, including humans, alter the climate through the release or capture of greenhouse gases.
• For example, plant growth and decay cycles can influence levels of carbon dioxide, and thus global temperatures.