Although it has long been recognized that the rhythmic sedimentation so often seen in Cretaceous sediments most likely reflects varying orbital (Milankovitch) parameters (eccentricity (100, 400 ka), obliquity (41 ka), and precession (19,23 ka)), our understanding of the mechanisms by which the insolation signal is translated into the observed changes in sedimentation is very poor. In order to investigate this relation we propose to conduct climate simulations to explore the effects of orbital variations on several Cretaceous paleogeographies and atmospheric compositions. Using a recently developed erosion-sedimentation module for the GENESIS Earth System Model we will be able to investigate quantitatively how the physical sediment record is affected by changing orbital setups. These results will then be compared with sedimentary and geochemical data of climate sensitive sediments from well-studied key profiles. Recent studies have focused on the influence of extreme orbital configurations on the formation of sedimentary couplets (e. g. marly shales and limestones). New climate simulations for the Upper Cretaceous (Flögel et al., in prep.) show that both extreme and intermediate orbital configurations can cause major regional and global changes of the climate system. Preliminary studies suggest that these may indeed be the cause of the rhythmically bedded sediments. Prior studies of the paleoclimatology of the Cretaceous have focused on the Late Cretaceous strata, but for this study we are planning to extend the investigations into the Early Cretaceous, where Milankovitch cycles are extremely well preserved.