ESS101C
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Historical Climate Changes
qClimate changes over the last 1000 years have been
smaller
than those over tectonic, orbital, and glacial-age millennial time scales, never exceeding 1°C on a global basis.
qClimate
changes over the last several thousand years have been highly variable in pattern from region to
region.
qOver much of this interval, records of climate are
based on
geochemical and geological indicators stored in annually layered archives: mountain glaciers, tree
rings, and
corals.
qAlso available are historical observations
recorded by humans.
(from Earth’s Climate: Past and Future)