Lizeth A.

Vasquez
Lara Beninca
November 7, 2016

Climate Change: Its Causes

Have you ever wondered why we have extreme temperatures? Over these past years,

there have been drastic changes regarding climate. For instance, glaciers are melting and

surfaces are warming. These changes are actually the effects of climate change. Climate change

is when there are abrupt alterations in the weather of a certain place. The weather of a certain

place is defined by its location. In addition, some are meant to be drier, colder, or warmer

during a specific time. However, because of a certain causes, these specific weather conditions

are varying. To be clearer, these unsteady weather conditions are the consequences of natural

and anthropogenic causes.

One of the major reasons why climate is changing is due to natural causes. They are

called natural causes because “they are external to the climate system” ( “Causes of Climate

Change”). For instance, it has been proven that orbital changes, volcanic eruptions, solar

variations, and plates’ movements are causing drastic changes in climate. The first factor that

produces climate change is due to orbital changes. For example, the earth’s movements around

the sun are not consistent. To support this, the Milankovitch theory gives an explanation on

how these unsteady movements are affecting climate. According to this theory, there are three

cycles that are influencing it. The first one is the eccentricity cycle, or elliptical cycle. To be

precise, temperatures are varying because the earth is sometimes closer to the sun causing a
warmer temperature and other times it is farther from the sun causing a cooler temperature.

The second one is the obliquity cycle, or axial tilt. In other words, the earth does not have a

right angle with its elliptical orbit. Normally, its angle is of 23.5 degrees; however, it varies

between 22.5 to 24.5 degrees causing climate change. When this angle decreases, it produces

cooler summers, and when it increases, it produces warmer summers and cooler winters. The

third one is the precession cycle, or wobble. That is, the earth wobbles on its axis because of

the tidal forces that are influenced by the sun and the moon. It must be mentioned that the

earth is not absolutely round and this produces alterations in all four seasons ("Milankovitch

Cycles").

The second factor that causes climate change is due to volcanic eruptions. Although

volcanoes are not everywhere in the planet, they can drastically affect climate when they erupt.

Once volcanoes erupt, they release a huge amount of gases and powder which linger in the

atmosphere for long periods of time reducing and increasing the solar radiation. Each of these

elements affects climate in different ways. First, when volcanoes explode, they expulse carbon

dioxide to the atmosphere. It is known that “carbon dioxide controls temperature” (Plass).

However, huge amounts of carbon dioxide cause global warming ("How Volcanoes Influence

Climate"). Another gas that produces climate change is sulfur dioxide. As soon as this vast

amount of gas is in the atmosphere, it starts to produce sulfates. These sulfates are located in

the stratosphere, second layer of the ozone, causing drastic changes in climate. To be more

specific, these sulfates absorb solar radiation which has a strong effect on climate. That is,

without solar radiation the planet starts to have unusual low temperatures (“Sulfur Dioxide: Its

Role in Climate Change"). In the same way, volcanic ashes and other dust particles influence
climate. These particles hover in the atmosphere blocking sunlight and reflecting it back. To be

clearer, these particles cause climate change by cooling the earth.

The third factor that produces climate change is because of solar variations. Solar

variations are the result of alterations in the sun. The sun radiation is not always the same due

to its sunspots which have special characteristics. That is, “Sunspots appear dark because their

temperature is lower than the surrounding area” (“Causes of Climate Change”). The job of

these sunspots is to deliver heat from the sun’s nucleus to the exterior. These sunspots which

sometimes increase and other times decrease in amount cause drastic changes. That is, when

there is an increased of sunspots, the sun radiation increase causing a warmer temperature;

and when the amount of sunspots decrease, it causes a cooling temperature.

The fourth natural factor that causes climate change is due to plates’ movements which

are located in the lithosphere, earth’s crust. It is important to mention that the plates once

were one whole. However, over millions of years these tectonic plates have been moving and

interacting between each other causing variations in climate. Particularly, these movements

cause climate change because they impact coal mines. Coal mines are mainly composed of

carbon dioxide which once they are expulsed in huge amounts it produces global warming

(“Causes of Climate Change”).

Climate change is not just produced by natural causes, but also human activities, or

anthropogenic activities. Human activities generate the rise of greenhouse gases, which exist in

the atmosphere as a result of the natural causes. In addition, daily human activities such as,

burning fossils, mining coal, farming practices, manufacturing processes, and others are
increasing the amount of greenhouse gases. Such activities produce the expulsion of carbon

dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases which are called greenhouse gases.

These gases especially carbon dioxide retain the heat in the atmosphere producing global

warming (“Where Greenhouse Gases Come From”).

Due to natural and human causes, weather conditions are drastically varying. As shown

above, orbital changes, volcanic eruptions, solar variations, and plates’ movements are

naturally affecting climate. In the same way, human activities are intensifying the amount of

greenhouse gases producing global warming.

 Works Cited

"Causes of Climate Change." CLIMATE SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS (CSI). n.d. Web. 30 October

2016.

"How Volcanoes Influence Climate." UCAR Center for Science Education, n.d. Web. 30 October

2016.

"Milankovitch Cycles." OSS Foundation. OSS Open Source Systems, Science, Solutions, n.d. Web.

30 October. 2016.

Plass, Gilbert N. "Carbon Dioxide and Climate." Scientific American. 2008. Web. 30 October

2016.

"Sulfur Dioxide: Its Role in Climate Change.” Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. 31

May 2011. Web. 30 October. 2016.

"Where Greenhouse Gases Come From." Ames Laboratory Creating Materials & Energy

Solutions. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, n.d. Web. 30 October 2016.

 http://www.ces.fau.edu/nasa/module-4/causes-2.php

http://ossfoundation.us/projects/environment/global-warming/milankovitch-cycles

http://esseacourses.strategies.org/module.php?module_id=168

http://www.ces.fau.edu/nasa/module-4/causes/sources-carbon-dioxide.php

https://www.ameslab.gov/esha/where-greenhouse-gases-come

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/which-emits-more-carbon-dioxide-

volcanoes-or-human-activities