Causes of Climate Change

Causes of Climate Change

1. Natural

   • Variations in the earths orbit
     • Stretch- earth's orbit around the sun changes from circle to ellipse so the sun is further away from the earth
     • Tilt- on the earths axis between 21.8 and 24.4 changes the amount of energy the earth receives from the sun
     • Wobble- means the seasons will swap over this a cycle of 22,000 years
   • Variations in the solar output- Sunspots are darker areas on the sun that increase solar energy output increase and decrease over 11 years
   • Meteor impacts- Throw up huge amounts of material into the atmosphere this can block out sunlight for months or years changing the climate
   • Volcanic Eruptions- eject large amounts of material into the atmosphere

2. Human

   • Enhanced greenhouse gas emissions- Gases absorb outgoing energy so less is lost in space keeping the planet warm but too much energy can cause the earth to warm up increased since the industrial revolution
   • Destruction of natural CO2 sinks- keep CO2 out the atmosphere. Plants take in CO2.