Question

On what time scale do Milankovitch cycles, altering Earth's orbit around the sun, occur?

A. Decades
B. Centuries
C. Thousands of years
D. Millions of years

Answer 1

Milankovitch cycles, which change Earth's orbit, occur over thousands to millions of years, including key cycles of about 100,000 years, 26,000 years, and longer periods.

Step-by-step explanation:

The time scale on which Milankovitch cycles occur, altering Earth's orbit around the sun, is measured in thousands to millions of years. These cycles involve changes in the eccentricity, obliquity, and precession of Earth's orbit. The eccentricity, which is the shape of Earth's orbital path, has a cycle of about 100,000 years but also longer cycles of 400,000 years and 2.4 million years. The precession, or wobble of Earth's axis, takes nearly 26,000 years, which affects the timing of the seasons.