Paleoclimatology

Paleoclimatology is the scientific study of Earth's climate over the entire course of its history. It uses a variety of techniques and methodologies to reconstruct past climates, and seeks to determine the mechanisms that caused the Earth to change from one climate state to another.

Overview

Paleoclimatology is a sub-discipline of climatology and is closely related to paleoecology, paleogeography, and geochronology. It uses a variety of proxy methods from the Earth and life sciences to obtain data previously preserved within things such as rocks, sediments, ice sheets, tree rings, corals, shells, and microfossils.

Techniques

Paleoclimatologists employ a wide range of techniques to deduce ancient climates.

Ice cores

Ice cores are one of the most effective, though not the only, methods of recreating long term climate records. Ice core data from Greenland and Antarctica has been crucial in the study of Quaternary climate and the glacial/interglacial cycles.

Sediment cores

Sediment cores are often analyzed to reveal the climate data of the past. The ratio of oxygen isotopes (18O/16O) present in the sediments can be used to identify changes in temperature and ice volume.

Dendroclimatology

Dendroclimatology is the study of tree ring growth and the factors that influence the growth. It can provide information about regional and local climate changes.

Major periods studied

Paleoclimatology studies numerous periods of Earth's history, including the Cretaceous warm period, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, the Pleistocene ice ages, and the Holocene interglacial period.

See also

• Climate change
• Historical climatology
• Paleotempestology
• Paleoceanography

References

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