Paleoclimatology. Reconstructing climates of the quaternary / Палеоклиматология. Реконструкция климатов четвертичного периода

Earth is a constantly changing dynamic entity, composed of multiple complex physical, chemical, and biological systems that interact on a spectrum of time and spatial scales. To comprehend the Earth System as a whole, we must understand the nature of these complex subsystems, both now and in the past, and identify the important linkages among them. Earth is now experiencing many changes, some large and more rapid than others. To attempt predictions of how the Earth System may change in the future requires an assessment of the conditions that preceded the present, a perspective that can only be gained from the records of past climate. Studies of the past also reveal just how quickly some components of the Earth Systems have responded to specific external (e.g., solar) and internal (e.g., atmospheric chemistry) forcing factors. Knowledge of these changes and understanding their key drivers are critical to efforts to anticipate and plan for future environmental changes. We are very fortunate that today we have a rich body of knowledge and numerous diverse natural systems that record many types of climatic and environmental information across a spectrum of temporal scales. Additionally, we now have rich array of technologies that allow us to tap information at ever smaller concentrations and from both common and rare archives. However, to reconstruct the nature, magnitude, and timing of these changes, paleoclimatologists must also understand the biological and physical processes that govern the formation of these diverse proxy records. As importantly, the strengths and limitations of each proxy indicator must be known and considered for robust interpretations. The field of paleoclimatology is continually becoming more interdisciplinary as practitioners strive to understand and incorporate an ever increasing number of highly specialized proxy climate and environmental indicators <...>