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.

Latest Research and Reviews

Research
18 August 2022 | Open Access

Sustained and intensified lacustrine methane cycling during Early Permian climate warming

This study reports the occurrence of sustained and intensified microbial CH₄ cycling in a giant lake in northwestern China during Early Permian climate warming. Lacustrine CH₄ emissions may have contributed to the end of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age.
- Funing Sun
- , Wenxuan Hu
- & Shuzhong Shen
Nature Communications 13, 4856
Research | 17 August 2022

Continental configuration controls ocean oxygenation during the Phanerozoic

Analysis of a series of Earth system model experiments shows that continental rearrangement during the Phanerozoic had a marked influence on variations in ocean oxygenation, independent of atmospheric pO₂.
- Alexandre Pohl
- , Andy Ridgwell
- & Christopher R. Scotese
Nature 608, 523-527
Research
17 August 2022 | Open Access

Central Mediterranean rainfall varied with high northern latitude temperatures during the last deglaciation

Central Mediterranean rainfall variability during the last deglaciation was closely linked to temperatures at high northern latitudes through strengthened westerly winds, as suggested by speleothem proxies from southern Italy.
- Andrea Columbu
- , Christoph Spötl
- & Jo De Waele
Communications Earth & Environment 3, 181
Research | 11 August 2022

Mid-Pliocene El Niño/Southern Oscillation suppressed by Pacific intertropical convergence zone shift

Suppressed El Niño/Southern Oscillation variability during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period was caused mainly by a northward displacement of the intertropical convergence zone, according to an analysis of a large ensemble of climate model simulations.
- Gabriel M. Pontes
- , Andréa S. Taschetto
- & Arthur M. Oldeman
Nature Geoscience, 1-9
Research
04 August 2022 | Open Access

A synoptic bridge linking sea salt aerosol concentrations in East Antarctic snowfall to Australian rainfall

Rainfall in subtropical Australia and sea salt deposited in snowfall at the Law Dome ice core site in East Antarctica are linked through a synoptic weather pattern that bridges the two regions, according to a synoptic typing data analysis.
- Danielle G. Udy
- , Tessa R. Vance
- & Neil J. Holbrook
Communications Earth & Environment 3, 175
Research
02 August 2022 | Open Access

Last glacial loess dynamics in the Southern Caucasus (NE-Armenia) and the phenomenon of missing loess deposition during MIS-2
- Daniel Wolf
- , Johanna Lomax
- & Dominik Faust
Scientific Reports 12, 13269

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 3, 425
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 3, 424
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

Latest Research and Reviews

Sustained and intensified lacustrine methane cycling during Early Permian climate warming

Continental configuration controls ocean oxygenation during the Phanerozoic

Central Mediterranean rainfall varied with high northern latitude temperatures during the last deglaciation

Mid-Pliocene El Niño/Southern Oscillation suppressed by Pacific intertropical convergence zone shift

A synoptic bridge linking sea salt aerosol concentrations in East Antarctic snowfall to Australian rainfall

Last glacial loess dynamics in the Southern Caucasus (NE-Armenia) and the phenomenon of missing loess deposition during MIS-2

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

Latest Research and Reviews

News and Comment

Search

Quick links