The paleoclimate record of long-term climate variability
- NOAA Paleoclimatology Program, Boulder, CO (United States) Univ. of Oregon, Eugene (United States)
Climate variability occurs on time scales ranging from decades or shorter to millions of years. An important step in determining the effects of trace-gas-induced warming on climate variability and ecosystems is characterizing past natural variability and change. Throughout the Quaternary long-term climate variability has been dominated by Milankovitch forcing of glacial/interglacial cycles. Superimposed on this millennia-scale orbitally forced variability have been more rapid climate events (e.g. Younger Dryas, Little Ice Age, Medieval Warm Period, Sahelian droughts). Although highly relevant to understanding possible responses of ecosystems to future climate change, most decade to century scale climate variability remains poorly understood. Insights into mechanisms and responses can be obtained from tree rings, ice cores, corals, marine, lake and fluvial sediments, pollen, and macrofossils. These paleoclimate records reveal that the range of natural climate variability is much larger than indicated by the instrumental record of the past 150 years. Global networks of well-dated, high-resolution paleocrunate records for key intervals of the past are currently being assembled. These networks should provide the baseline of natural variability required to understand climate-ecosystem dynamics and to identify anthropogenic-induced change.
- OSTI ID:
- 5985388
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930798--
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Vol. 74:2; ISSN BECLAG; ISSN 0012-9623
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ANIMALS
CENOZOIC ERA
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CNIDARIA
COELENTERATA
CORALS
DROUGHTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GAMETES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GERM CELLS
GLACIERS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INVERTEBRATES
LITTLE ICE AGE
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PALEONTOLOGY
POLLEN
POPULATIONS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
SEDIMENTS
TREE RINGS
VARIATIONS