Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-863-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-863-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Review article
| 
21 Apr 2022
Review article |
| 21 Apr 2022
| 21 Apr 2022
Orbital insolation variations, intrinsic climate variability, and Quaternary glaciations
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany
Takahito Mitsui
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany
Earth System Modelling, School of Engineering & Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Niklas Boers
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany
Earth System Modelling, School of Engineering & Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Department of Mathematics and Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
Michael Ghil
Geosciences Department and Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (CNRS and IPSL), Ecole Normale Supérieure and PSL University, Paris, France
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
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- 100 kyr ice age cycles as a timescale-matching problem T. Mitsui et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1569-2025
- Stochastic paleoclimatology: Modeling the EPICA ice core climate records N. Keyes et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0128814
- Tipping points induced by parameter drift in an excitable ocean model S. Pierini & M. Ghil https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90138-1
- On the representation of multiplicative noise in modeling Dansgaard–Oeschger events K. Kypke & P. Ditlevsen https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physd.2024.134215
- Self-limited tidal heating and prolonged magma oceans in the L 98-59 system H. Nicholls et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1167
- Inarticulate past: similarity properties of the ice–climate system and their implications for paleo-record attribution M. Verbitsky https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-879-2022
- The PaleoJump database for abrupt transitions in past climates W. Bagniewski et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30592-1
- The deterministic excitation paradigm and the late Pleistocene glacial terminations S. Pierini https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0127715
- Preliminary Investigation of the Remnants of Low-Latitude Glacial Activity on the Southeastern Margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Y. Pan et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083492
- Glacial sedimentation in Northern Gondwana: insights from the Talchir formation, Manendragarh, India A. Choudhuri et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756823000353
- Disparate energy sources for slow and fast Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles D. Liebrand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1447-2023
- Review article: Dynamical systems, algebraic topology and the climate sciences M. Ghil & D. Sciamarella https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-399-2023
- Statistical precursor signals for Dansgaard–Oeschger cooling transitions T. Mitsui & N. Boers https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-683-2024
- Introduction to the Focus Issue: Nonautonomous dynamics in the climate sciences D. Crisan et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0324361
- Theoretical and paleoclimatic evidence for abrupt transitions in the Earth system N. Boers et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8944
- Projecting community trophic structures for the last 120 000 years J. González‐Trujillo et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06899
- Synchronization phenomena observed in glacial–interglacial cycles simulated in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity T. Mitsui et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1277-2023
- Intraseasonal atmospheric variability under climate trends B. Maraldi et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0253103
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Rapid communication: Middle Pleistocene Transition as a phenomenon of orbitally enabled sensitivity to initial values M. Verbitsky & A. Omta https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-17-2026
- Revealing trends and persistent cycles of non-autonomous systems with autonomous operator-theoretic techniques G. Froyland et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48033-6
- 100 kyr ice age cycles as a timescale-matching problem T. Mitsui et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1569-2025
- Stochastic paleoclimatology: Modeling the EPICA ice core climate records N. Keyes et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0128814
- Tipping points induced by parameter drift in an excitable ocean model S. Pierini & M. Ghil https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90138-1
- On the representation of multiplicative noise in modeling Dansgaard–Oeschger events K. Kypke & P. Ditlevsen https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physd.2024.134215
- Self-limited tidal heating and prolonged magma oceans in the L 98-59 system H. Nicholls et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1167
- Inarticulate past: similarity properties of the ice–climate system and their implications for paleo-record attribution M. Verbitsky https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-879-2022
- The PaleoJump database for abrupt transitions in past climates W. Bagniewski et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30592-1
- The deterministic excitation paradigm and the late Pleistocene glacial terminations S. Pierini https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0127715
- Preliminary Investigation of the Remnants of Low-Latitude Glacial Activity on the Southeastern Margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Y. Pan et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083492
- Glacial sedimentation in Northern Gondwana: insights from the Talchir formation, Manendragarh, India A. Choudhuri et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756823000353
- Disparate energy sources for slow and fast Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles D. Liebrand et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1447-2023
- Review article: Dynamical systems, algebraic topology and the climate sciences M. Ghil & D. Sciamarella https://doi.org/10.5194/npg-30-399-2023
- Statistical precursor signals for Dansgaard–Oeschger cooling transitions T. Mitsui & N. Boers https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-683-2024
- Introduction to the Focus Issue: Nonautonomous dynamics in the climate sciences D. Crisan et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0324361
- Theoretical and paleoclimatic evidence for abrupt transitions in the Earth system N. Boers et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8944
- Projecting community trophic structures for the last 120 000 years J. González‐Trujillo et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06899
- Synchronization phenomena observed in glacial–interglacial cycles simulated in an Earth system model of intermediate complexity T. Mitsui et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1277-2023
- Intraseasonal atmospheric variability under climate trends B. Maraldi et al. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0253103
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 17 Jun 2026
Short summary
Building upon Milancovic's theory of orbital forcing, this paper reviews the interplay between intrinsic variability and external forcing in the emergence of glacial interglacial cycles. It provides the reader with historical background information and with basic theoretical concepts used in recent paleoclimate research. Moreover, it presents new results which confirm the reduced stability of glacial-cycle dynamics after the mid-Pleistocene transition.
Building upon Milancovic's theory of orbital forcing, this paper reviews the interplay between...
