Milankovitch Theory
qMilankovitch suggested that the
critical factor for Northern Hemisphere continental glaciation was the
amount of summertime insolation at high northern latitudes.
qLow summer insolation occurs
during times when Earth’s orbital tilt is small.
qLow summer insolation also
results from the fact that the northern hemisphere’s summer solstice occurs when
Earth is farthest from the Sun and when the orbit is highly eccentric.
(from Earth’s Climate: Past and Future)