The document discusses both long-term and short-term effects of climate change. Over millions of years, continental drift and changes in Earth's orbit have triggered changes by altering ocean currents, wind patterns, and the distribution of land masses. In the short-term, volcanic eruptions and shifts in air and ocean currents can temporarily cool the climate by blocking sunlight. The Milankovitch cycles of Earth's orbit and axial tilt occurring over tens of thousands of years are linked to recurring ice ages and interglacial periods.