ESCI C.S3.O3.A2 Paleoclimatology

Climate is different than weather in that it deals with long-term averages rather than day to day conditions. For weather you might say, "What's it like outside right now?" For Climate you would say, "What's it like during the year?"

Since climate is a long-term phenomena it's useful for scientists to be able to study ancient climates and track changes. This study of ancient climates is called "paleoclimatology".

Paleoclimatology is the study of climate prior to the widespread availability of records of temperature, precipitation, and other instrumental data. NOAA is particularly interested in the last few thousand years because this is the best dated, best sampled part of the past climatic record and can help us establish the range of natural climatic variability in a period prior to global-scale human influence. 

Environmental recorders are used to estimate past climatic conditions and thus extend our understanding far beyond the 100+ year instrumental record. "Proxy Links to an external site." records of climate have been preserved in tree rings, locked in the skeletons of tropical coral reefs, extracted as ice cores from glaciers and ice caps, and buried in laminated sediments from lakes and the ocean.

This video gives a brief intro to paleoclimatology:

ESCI C.S3.O3.A2 Paleoclimatology VID Links to an external site.

Your Assignment: Read the information at the following 3 links and answer the questions below in the text box.

How is it studied? Links to an external site.

What do we know? Links to an external site.

Paleo Proxy Data Links to an external site. 

1. How do we study paleoclimates?
2. Why do we study paleoclimates?
3. What have we discovered by studying paleoclimates?
4. Describe how we use the proxy methods to learn about past climates:
1. Corals
2. Pollen
3. Tree Rings
4. Ice Cores
5. Ocean and Lake Sediments