Paleoclimate: Lessons from the past, roadmap for the future
USGS paleoclimate scientists use biological, chemical, and physical materials preserved in the geologic record, called geologic proxies, to investigate past climates.
Often, the type of proxy use will determine the type of information one can learn about the past. For example, ice cores will have trapped gas within the layers of ice. That gas can inform scientists about the atmospheric chemistry at the time it was trapped and sealed in the ice. However, other proxies are less direct, requiring scientists to infer changes in climate when looking at larger trends in sediments, for example.
Not only do these researchers study paleoclimate using different proxies, but they also study paleoclimate to inform different understandings of the planet's past and future. In this interactive geonarrative, viewers can explore the different applications of USGS paleoclimate research.
View the geonarrative!
