Paleoclimatology, Volume 68

Preface Acknowledgments

Paleoclimatic Reconstruction Introduction Sources of Paleoclimatic information Levels of Paleoclimatic analysis Modeling in Paleoclimatic Research

Climate and Climatic Variation The Nature of Climate and Climatic Variation The Climate System Feedback Mechanisms Energy Balance of the Earth and Its Atmosphere Timescales of Climatic Variation Variations of the Earth's Orbital Parameters

Dating Methods I Introduction and Overview Radioisotopic Methods

Dating Methods II Paleomagnetism Dating Methods involving Chemical Changes Biological Dating Methods

Ice Cores Introduction Stable Isotope analysis Dating Ice Cores Paleoclimatic Reconstruction From Ice Cores

Marine Sediments and Corals Introduction Paleoclimatic Information From Biological Material in Ocean Cores Oxygen Isotope Studies of Calcareous Marine Fauna Relative Abundance Studies Paleotemperature Records From Alkenones Dissolution of Deep-Sea Carbonates Paleoclimatic Information From Inorganic Material in Ocean Cores Coral Records of Past Climate Thermohaline Circulation of the Oceans Ocean Circulation Changes and Climate Over the Last Glacial-Interglacial Cycle Changes in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: The Role of the Oceans Orbital Forcing: Evidence From the Marine Record

Non-Marine Geological Evidence Introduction Loess Periglacial Features Snowlines and Glaciation Thresholds Mountain Glacier Fluctuations Lake-Level Fluctuations Lake Sediments Speleothems

Non-Marine Biological Evidence Introduction Former Vegetation Distribution From Plant Macrofossils Insects

Pollen analysis Introduction The Basis of Pollen Analysis How Rapidly Does Vegetation Respond to Changes in Climate? Pollen Analysis of a Site: The Pollen Diagram Mapping Vegetation Change: Isopolls and Isochrones Quantitative Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on Pollen analysis Paleoclimatic Reconstruction From Long Quaternary Pollen Records

Dendroclimatology Introduction Fundamentals of Dendroclimatology Dendroclimatic Reconstructions Isotope Dendroclimatology

Documentary Data Introduction Historical Records and Their interpretation Regional Studies Based on Historical Records Records Climate Forcing Factors

Paleoclimate Models Introduction Types of Models Sensitivity Experiments Using General Circulation Models Model Simulations: 18ka B.P. to the Present Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Model Experiments of the Thermohaline Circulation GCM Paleoclimate Simulations and the Paleo Record

Appendix A: Further Considerations on Radiocarbon Dating Calculation of Radiocarbon Age and Standardization Procedure Fractionation Effects

World Wide Web-Based Resources in Paleoclimatology

References

Index

Raymond S. Bradley provides his readers with a comprehensive and up-to-date review of all of the important methods used in paleoclimatic reconstruction, dating and paleoclimate modeling. Two comprehensive chapters on dating methods provide the foundation for all paleoclimatic studies and are followed by up-to-date coverage of ice core research, continental geological and biological records, pollen analysis, radiocarbon dating, tree rings and historical records. New methods using alkenones in marine sediments and coral studies are also described. Paleoclimatology, Second Edition, is an essential textbook for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying climatology, paleoclimatology and paleooceanography worldwide, as well as a valuable reference for lecturers and researchers, appealing to archaeologists and scientists interested in environmental change.

@bul:* Contains two up-to-date chapters on dating methods

• Consists of the latest coverage of ice core research, marine sediment and coral studies, continental geological and biological records, pollen analysis, tree rings, and historical records
• Describes the newest methods using alkenones in marine sediments and long continental pollen records
• Addresses all important methods used in paleoclimatic reconstruction
• Includes an extensive chapter on the use of models in paleoclimatology
• Extensive and up-to-date bibliography
• Illustrated with numerous comprehensive figure captions

Undergraduates, researchers, lecturers, professionals and classes in archeology, palynology, geology, geosciences, geological research methods, paleoecology, paleooceanography, paleoclimatology, climatology, climate modeling, glaciology, geomorphology, geography, earth sciences, environmental sciences, oceanography, astronomy, meteorology and Quaternary sciences; archeologists, scientists, and government and agency officials who deal with issues of global environmental change.