Paleoclimate

What is paleoclimatology?

• The study of climate records from hundreds to millions of years ago

• The study of current climate conditions

• The study of climate records from the past few decades

• The study of climate records from the last century

What can tree ring data tell us about past climate?

• The conditions experienced by the tree each year

• The current climate conditions

• The climate conditions from the last century

• The climate conditions from the past few decades

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

What do glacial rocks indicate about past climate?

• The presence of glaciers in that location at some point in the past

• The current climate conditions

• The climate conditions from the last century

• The climate conditions from the past few decades

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS2-1

What are some other sources of proxy data for climate?

• Lake and ocean sediments, layers of ice, corals, fossils, and historical records

• Current weather observations

• Satellite images of clouds

• Temperature measurements from weather stations

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

What does the broad agreement of several datasets increase?

• Confidence that proxies reveal valid temperature records

• Confusion about past climate

• Doubt about the accuracy of proxies

• Uncertainty about future climate

Which of the following is an example of a proxy record?

• Tree ring data

• Current weather observations

• Satellite images of clouds

• Temperature measurements from weather stations

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

How do scientists analyze climate proxies?

• By measuring the width, chemical composition, and physical structure of each layer

• By taking direct measurements of climate using instruments

• By analyzing current weather observations

• By analyzing satellite images of clouds

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

What can records of past climate provide context for?

• Present climate conditions

• Future climate conditions

• Current weather observations

• Satellite images of clouds

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

What do the graphs of past temperatures indicated by various methods show?

• Common patterns of temperature trends that are broadly consistent

• Current climate conditions

• Climate conditions from the last century

• Climate conditions from the past few decades

Paleoclimatologists can use fossilized pollen to study the climate of the past. Once the fossil is dated they can determine what kind of plants lived at that time. From that they can start to determine the ______________ of that time period. 

• Dew Point

• Temperature 

• Barometric Pressure

• Humidity

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS3-5