A Paleo Perspective on Global Warming

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• Learn more about climate, climate change, environmental science, meteorology, and paleoclimatology.

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“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Paleoclimatology Program is working with scientists from around the world to study past climate in hopes of achieving a better understanding of the Earth’s climate of today and that of the future. The site was developed to help educate, inform and highlight the importance of paleoclimate research; as well as to show how paleoclimate research relates to global warming and other important issues regarding climate variability and change. The last decade of the 20th Century was the warmest in the entire global instrumental temperature record, starting in the mid-19th century. All 10 years rank among the 15 warmest, and include the 6 warmest years on record. This warmth is unusual for the past century, but what about in the context of past centuries or millennia? It is only through the reconstruction of past climate that we can truly evaluate the magnitude of this warming.”At the A Paleo Perspective on Global Warming website, students can explore:

• What is Global Warming? With so much discussion regarding Global Warming, Greenhouse Warming, and issues concerning the ozone layer, it is difficult to keep it all straight. This chapter is intended to define the terms Global Warming, Greenhouse Warming and how they relate to the issues of atmospheric ozone.
• How do we study Global Warming? This chapter explains how scientists study variations in the Earth’s temperature using satellite, instrumental (rain gauges and thermometers), and paleoclimatic data.
• Weather, Climate, and Paleoclimatology. This chapter not only gives a clear view of what the science of paleoclimatology is but, also how this science can be used to gain a better understanding of the Earth and it’s ever-changing climate.

Students can also investigate the data:

• The Instrumental Record of Past Global Temperatures. This chapter contains data for the last 140 years about climate based on satellite temperature reconstructions and thermometer based records.
• Paleoclimatic Data for the Last 1000 Years. Due to many more paleoclimate records becoming available throughout the world, scientists have a more improved view of past changes in the Earth’s temperature then we had ten years ago. This chapter focuses on five recent studies that have revolutionized what we know about the 20th century in the context of the last six centuries.
• Paleoclimatic Data Before 1000 Years Ago. Just as the previous chapter puts the 20th century in the perspective of the last 1000 years, this chapter looks further back into Earth’s history to see if previous periods of global warmth can provide clues about 20th century warming.

Also be sure to check out the image gallery that highlights evidence of climate changes through coral reefs, tree rings, lake sediments, polar ice cores, and more.