Small changes in the Earth’s orbital pattern around the sun affect climate over geologic times scales. These orbital variations impact how much solar radiation reaches Earth’s upper atmosphere as well as where solar radiation hits the Earth’s surface. These changes are significant enough to trigger climate warmings and coolings (glacial/interglacial cycles). These parameters include:
1) Shape of Earth’s orbit around the sun (Eccentricity)
2) Tilt angle of Earth’s axis of rotation (Obliquity)
2) Tilt direction of Earth’s axis of rotation (Precession)

Collectively, these three parameters are called Milankovitch Cycles, after the Serbian Mathematician, who first hypothesized that these forces are responsible for major climatic shifts seen in climate records such as ice and marine cores.

These parameters cannot explain present climate warming, but they are the drumbeat for climate over much larger time scales than what we are experiencing today.