Monday, May 23, 2016

Orbital Eccentricity

The shape of the Earth's orbit ( viewed from above)
Cycles every 400,000 and 100,000 years

  • Is it more circular-shaped or more egg- shaped? 
  • circular: low eccentricity 
  • oval shaped: HIGH ECCENTRICITY 
  • obliquity or axial tilt 
  • changes from 21 degrees to 24.5 degrees 
  • cycles every 41000 years 
  • greater tilt, the greater the seasonality 
  • minimum tilt develops more glaciers 
  • maximum tilt : warmer summers near poles and less glaciation 
  • orbital procession 
  • earth wobbles like a spinning top 
  • the spin axis sweeps out an imaginary cone 
  • cycles every 19-23 thousand years 
  • how do orbital changes show up in the geological record? 
  • example: changes in tilt 
  • More tilt = more severe the season 
  • less tilt = less severe of the season 
  • effects 
  • slightly warmer winters 
  • but cooler summer 
  • snow from winter doesn't melt 
  • past glaciation interpreted extended of ice sheets 20,000 years ago 
  • interpretation temperature variations over the last 100,000 years 
  • milankovitch cycles with paleoclimate records for the pas million years 
  • periods of low eccentricity and glacial periods 
  • showed that procession along with eccentricity and tilt, affects the total amount of insolation 
  • insolation = exposure to suns rays 
  • lighter composition absorbs lighter isotopes 
  • correlation in inferred temperature an co2 concentration 

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