"Climate Model Reveals Surprising Changes in Earth's Climate Cycles"
Japanese researchers have used an improved computer model to reproduce the cycle of glacial periods during the early Pleistocene Epoch (1.6 to 1.2 million years ago) and confirmed that astronomical forces were responsible for the changes in Earth's climate. The team's analysis of the simulations revealed three salient facts about the mechanisms governing climate change, which could lead to a better understanding of how Earth's climate evolved and have implications for the study of extrasolar planets and the search for life.