Milankovitch cycles change the distribution of solar radiation on Earth's surface.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only near the equator
• D. Only during eclipses

Answer: (A)

Milankovitch cycles describe long-term changes in Earth's orbit and axial tilt that rotate how sunlight is spread across the planet through the year. When the orbit becomes more eccentric, the difference between summer and winter sunlight in a hemisphere can change depending on whether that hemisphere is near perihelion or aphelion at a given season. Changes in tilt alter how steeply sunlight hits different latitudes, boosting summers and deepening winters especially toward higher latitudes. Precession shifts the timing of the seasons relative to the orbit, so the hemisphere receiving more sunlight in a given season can switch over time. Taken together, these cycles redistribute solar radiation across latitudes and seasons, even if the total annual energy reaching Earth stays roughly the same. So the statement is true.