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4. Energy Budgets
A limited number of factors are responsible for natural climate change
Evidence has been found by climatologists that a limited number of factors are primarily responsible for past natural climate change on Earth. These factors are; variations in the Earth's orbital characteristics, atmospheric carbon dioxide variations, volcanic eruptions and variations in the solar output. These factors have been covered in previous topics. The Milankovitch theory suggests that normal cyclical variations in three of the Earth's orbital characteristics cause the climate to change. The theory assumes that over time three cyclic events vary the amount of solar radiation that is received on the Earth's surface: eccentricity, precession, and obliquity.
What does the Milankovitch theory suggest is responsible for climate change?