Sunspot theory: The number of dark spots on the sun affects how much solar energy is being produced, More dark spots means more solar energy = warmer periods, Peak every 11 years, Orbital theory: The amount of solar energy a place receives is affected by the Earth's orbit, Eccentricity - It takes 100,000 years to change from a more circular to a more elliptical orbit, Axial tilt - The Earth's axis tilts and straightens over 41,000 years, When earth is closer to the sun, temperatures are warmer, A greater tilt means more sunlight in Polar Regions - more extreme seasons, Eruption theory: Ash and gas exploding from a volcano , Exploded ash and gas blocks sunlight and lowers the temperature, Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 caused the climate to cool by 0.5 degrees for a year, Surface impact theory: Similar to eruption theory, If a huge asteroid struck Earth large amounts of rock and dust would be emitted in to the atmosphere, The debris from an asteroid strike would block sunlight and lower temperatures, It is thought dinosaurs went extinct as a result of the impact a huge asteroid strike had on Earth, Changes in ice coverage: Melting permafrost releases stored methane (from decomposed plants) into the atmosphere, Methane is a greenhouse gas which traps heat. This increases the temperature of the atmosphere., Melting ice-caps will also reduce the albedo effect therefore more heat will be absorbed by the dark surfaces left behind. , Retreating ice caps: Fresh water is released into the oceans leading to changes in oceanic circulation, This could slow down or stop the North Atlantic Drift,

Physical causes of climate change

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