Why do climates change over time?

                We know that there is no single climate across the globe. When there is monsoon in India, there is heat and drought elsewhere in the world. In the case of our planet, it has faced prolonged periods of climates, which persisted for very long time.

                Several types of climates can be found on Earth. The difference in climates depends on the distance of a particular region from the equator, altitude, moisture, wind-pattern, soil, vegetation, pollution etc. Thus, there are many forces that control and change the climate. The climates will gradually alter when these factors undergo change.

                The extended climatic changes also depend on the different ages Earth has gone through over the period. For example, Ice Age was a period of prolonged extreme cold climatic condition. It was an age marked by vast snow and ice sheets all the year round. The earth has experienced many Ice Ages. The most recent Ice Age occurred in the Pleistocene period. However, it was thousands of years ago.  

                Besides closeness of the earth to the sun, volcanic eruptions and certain other natural phenomena can also cause changes in the earth’s climate.

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