Home Science Plankton as a climate driver: A new view on past climate change

Plankton as a climate driver: A new view on past climate change

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Fluctuations in the orbital parameters of the Earth are considered to be the trigger for long-term climatic fluctuations such as ice ages. This includes the variation of the inclination angle of the Earth’s axis with a cycle of about 40,000 years. Marine scientists have now shown by using a new model that biogeochemical interactions between ocean and atmosphere could also be responsible for climate fluctuations on this time scale.