Palaeoclimate

Palaeoclimate is the reconstruction and study of past climate states on Earth and other planets. Climate parameters such as precipitation, temperature, wind strength, and patterns of interannual climate variability are frequently estimated from proxies in ice and sediment cores, tree rings, cave deposits and historical records. These are assessed in numerical models.

Featured

News & Views | 09 June 2022

Closed ocean gateways in the Canadian archipelago are key to glaciation in Scandinavia

Nature Geoscience 15, 436-437

Latest Research and Reviews

Research
23 June 2022 | Open Access

Coral Sr/Ca records provide realistic representation of eastern Indian Ocean cooling during extreme positive Indian Ocean Dipole events
- Miriam Pfeiffer
- , Takaaki Konabe Watanabe
- & Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Scientific Reports 12, 10642
Research | 22 June 2022

Life rather than climate influences diversity at scales greater than 40 million years
- Andrej Spiridonov
- & Shaun Lovejoy
Nature, 1-6
Research
22 June 2022 | Open Access

South American precipitation dipole forced by interhemispheric temperature gradient
- Marília C. Campos
- , Cristiano M. Chiessi
- & Vinícius R. Mendes
Scientific Reports 12, 10527
Research
22 June 2022 | Open Access

The timing, duration and magnitude of the 8.2 ka event in global speleothem records
- Sarah E. Parker
- & Sandy P. Harrison
Scientific Reports 12, 10542
Research
21 June 2022 | Open Access

Pleistocene drivers of Northwest African hydroclimate and vegetation

Plant-wax isotope and dust flux records reveal that the long-term variability of the Northwest African monsoon is controlled by tropical solar radiation gradients. Grasslands expand into the Sahara during strong monsoons, but the ultimate composition of the ecosystem is controlled by CO₂.
- Nicholas A. O’Mara
- , Charlotte Skonieczny
- & Pratigya J. Polissar
Nature Communications 13, 3552
Research
18 June 2022 | Open Access

Marine siliceous ecosystem decline led to sustained anomalous Early Triassic warmth

The widespread disappearance of siliceous life sustained extreme temperatures in the wake of Earth’s most severe mass extinction event.
- Terry T. Isson
- , Shuang Zhang
- & Noah J. Planavsky
Nature Communications 13, 3509

All Research & Reviews

News and Comment

News & Views | 09 June 2022

Closed ocean gateways in the Canadian archipelago are key to glaciation in Scandinavia

In a simulation with a state-of-the-art climate model, obstruction of the ocean gateways in the Canadian archipelago due to ice-sheet growth reroutes currents and alters North Atlantic Ocean conditions, permitting glacial inception in Scandinavia. This mechanism could help to explain periods of rapid ice-sheet growth in Earth’s history.

Nature Geoscience 15, 436-437
Research Highlights | 07 June 2022

Extending flood records of rivers with sediment records

Joeri Reinders explains how geomorphic and sedimentary evidence from river channels can extend flood records beyond the instrumental period.
- Joeri B. Reinders
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1
Research Highlights | 31 May 2022

Understanding shell growth in giant clams with EBSD

Kimberley Marshall-Mills explains the use of electron backscatter diffraction in resolving (sub-)microscale structures in clam shells.
- Kimberley Mills
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1
Research Highlights | 20 May 2022

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of ancient landscapes

Sam Woor discusses how optically stimulated luminescence dating is used to date the relics of ancient landscapes
- Sam Woor
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3, 362
Research Highlights | 02 May 2022

GIS reconstructions of former glaciers shed light on past climate

Caleb Walcott explains how geographic information systems (GIS) are used to reconstruct past glacier surfaces, which in turn can be used as a paleoclimate proxy.
- Caleb K. Walcott
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3, 292
Comments & Opinion
05 April 2022 | Open Access

In praise of archives (and an open mind)

A recent study dating Viking presence in America to a precise year was only possible thanks to long-term conservation of archaeological finds. It also arose from curiosity, interdisciplinarity and recognition of emerging techniques. These factors highlight the importance of archiving materials and asking the right questions in research on the entanglements of climate and history.
- Ulf Büntgen
- , Jan Esper
- & Clive Oppenheimer
Communications Earth & Environment 3, 84

All News & Comment

Palaeoclimate

Featured

Closed ocean gateways in the Canadian archipelago are key to glaciation in Scandinavia

Latest Research and Reviews

Coral Sr/Ca records provide realistic representation of eastern Indian Ocean cooling during extreme positive Indian Ocean Dipole events

Life rather than climate influences diversity at scales greater than 40 million years

South American precipitation dipole forced by interhemispheric temperature gradient

The timing, duration and magnitude of the 8.2 ka event in global speleothem records

Pleistocene drivers of Northwest African hydroclimate and vegetation

Marine siliceous ecosystem decline led to sustained anomalous Early Triassic warmth

News and Comment

Closed ocean gateways in the Canadian archipelago are key to glaciation in Scandinavia

Extending flood records of rivers with sediment records

Understanding shell growth in giant clams with EBSD

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of ancient landscapes

GIS reconstructions of former glaciers shed light on past climate

In praise of archives (and an open mind)

Quick links

Discover content

Publishing policies

Author & Researcher services

Libraries & institutions

Advertising & partnerships

Career development

Regional websites

Legal & Privacy

Palaeoclimate

Featured

Latest Research and Reviews

News and Comment

Search

Quick links