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Article: Celestial mechanics, sea-level changes, and intertidal ecology.
- Article from:
- The Biological Bulletin
- Article date:
- April 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Marine Biological Laboratory. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mechanistic interpretations of cyclical variations in paleoclimates have been based, since the late 1800s, on celestial mechanics, especially the Earth's orbital eccentricity, orbital inclination, and axial tilt. Cycles of 41,000 and 100,000 years have characterized the periodicity of glaciation and its biological consequences for the past 2.5 million years (1, 2), and the role of such astronomical factors is a point of debate in the current concern about the reality and magnitude of anthropogenic forcing of climate, especially accelerated global warming. Although consensus has recently been reached that global warming is a reality (3), its magnitude and short-term ...