Paleoclimatology
Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary
Description
Key Features
- Winner of a 2015 Texty Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association
- A comprehensive overview of the methods of paleoclimate reconstruction, and the record of past changes in climate during the last ~3 million years
- Addresses all the techniques used in paleoclimatic reconstruction from climate proxies
- With full-color throughout, and thoroughly revised chapters on dating methods, climate forcing, ice cores, marine sediments, pollen analysis, dendroclimatology, and historical records
- Includes new chapters on speleothems, loess, and lake sediments
- More than 1,000 new references and 190 new figures
- Essential reading for those interested in how present trends in climate compare with changes that have occurred in the past
Readership
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Front Cover Photograph
Holocene Rock Art from the Northwestern Flanks of the Ennedi Highlands, Eastern Sahara, Chad
References
Foreword
Preface to the Third Edition
Chapter 1. Paleoclimatic Reconstruction
Abstract
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Sources of Paleoclimatic Information
1.3 Levels of Paleoclimatic Analysis
1.4 Modeling in Paleoclimatic Research
References
Chapter 2. Climate and Climatic Variation
Abstract
2.1 The Nature of Climate and Climatic Variation
2.2 The Climate System
2.3 Feedback Mechanisms
2.4 Energy Balance of the Earth and Its Atmosphere
2.5 Timescales of Climatic Variation
2.6 Variations of the Earth’s Orbital Parameters
2.7 Solar Forcing
2.8 Volcanic Forcing
References
Chapter 3. Dating Methods I
Abstract
3.1 Introduction and Overview
3.2 Radioisotopic Methods
References
Chapter 4. Dating Methods II
Abstract
4.1 Paleomagnetism
4.2 Dating Methods Involving Chemical Changes
4.3 Tephrochronology
4.4 Biological Dating Methods
References
Chapter 5. Ice Cores
Abstract
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Stable Isotope Analysis
5.3 Dating Ice Cores
5.4 Paleoclimatic Reconstruction from Ice Cores
References
Chapter 6. Marine Sediments
Abstract
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Paleoclimatic Information from Biological Material in Ocean Cores
6.3 Oxygen Isotope Studies of Calcareous Marine Fauna
6.4 Paleotemperatures from Relative Abundance Studies
6.5 Paleotemperature Reconstruction from Sediment Geochemistry
6.6 Oceanographic Conditions at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)
6.7 Paleoclimatic Information from Inorganic Material in Marine Sediments
6.8 Thermohaline Circulation of the Oceans
6.9 Changes in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: The Role of the Oceans
6.10 Abrupt Climate Changes
References
Chapter 7. Loess
Abstract
7.1 Chronology of Loess-Paleosol Sequences
7.2 Paleoclimatic Significance of Loess-Paleosol Sequences
References
Chapter 8. Speleothems
Abstract
8.1 Isotopic Variations in Speleothems
8.2 Tropical and Subtropical Paleoclimate Variability from Speleothems
8.3 Speleothems and Glacial Terminations
8.4 Millennial to Centennial Scale Changes
8.5 Late Glacial and Holocene Records
8.6 Stalagmite Records of the Last Two Millennia
8.7 Paleoclimatic Information from Periods of Speleothem Growth
8.8 Speleothems as Indicators of Sea-Level Variations
References
Chapter 9. Lake Sediments
Abstract
9.1 Sedimentology and Inorganic Geochemistry
9.2 Varves
9.3 Pollen, Macrofossils, and Phytoliths
9.4 Ostracods
9.5 Diatoms
9.6 Stable Isotopes
9.7 Organic Biomarkers
References
Chapter 10. Nonmarine Geologic Evidence
Abstract
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Periglacial Features
10.3 Snowlines and Glaciation Thresholds
10.4 Mountain Glacier Fluctuations
10.5 Lake-level Fluctuations
References
Chapter 11. Insects and Other Biological Evidence from Continental Regions
Abstract
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Insects
11.3 Former Vegetation Distribution from Plant Macrofossils
11.4 Peat
References
Chapter 12. Pollen
Abstract
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Basis of Pollen Analysis
12.3 Pollen Rain as a Representation of Vegetation Composition and Climate
12.4 Quantitative Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based on Pollen Analysis
12.5 Paleoclimatic Reconstruction from Long Quaternary Pollen Records
References
Chapter 13. Tree Rings
Abstract
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Fundamentals of Dendroclimatology
13.3 Dendroclimatic Reconstructions
13.4 Isotopic Dendroclimatology
References
Chapter 14. Corals
Abstract
14.1 Coral Records of Past Climate
14.2 Paleoclimate from Coral Growth Rates
14.3 Luminescence in Corals
14.4 δ18O in Corals
14.5 δ13C in Corals
14.6 Δ14C in Corals
14.7 Trace Elements in Corals
14.8 Fossil Coral Records
References
Chapter 15. Historical Documents
Abstract
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Historical Records and Their Interpretation
15.3 Regional Studies Based on Historical Records
15.4 Records of Climate Forcing Factors
15.5 Climate Paradigms for the Last Millennium
References
Appendix A. Further Considerations on Radiocarbon Dating
A.1 Calculation of Radiocarbon Age and Standardization Procedure
A.2 Fractionation Effects
References
Appendix B. Internet Resources in Paleoclimatology
References
Index
Product details
- No. of pages: 696
- Language: English
- Copyright: © Academic Press 2014
- Published: December 28, 2013
- Imprint: Academic Press
- eBook ISBN: 9780123869951
- Hardcover ISBN: 9780123869135
About the Author
Raymond Bradley
Affiliations and Expertise
Ratings and Reviews
Latest reviews
(Total rating for all reviews)
Ming T. Mon Aug 10 2020
Professor
I have already adopted the third edition in my teaching, and some suggestions for revision of the current edition are as follows: 1. One appropriate cognition is that a future paleoclimatologist should be one, or at least half, climatologist, because "paleoclimate" only added the word "paleo", means ancient, before the word "climate". As a textbook, we should first tell students that the basic concepts of climatology are rearly the same in modern and ancient times. however, some graduate students who take paleoclimatology as an elective course are non climate majors in their undergraduate stage. Therefore, we need to give these students some basic climatological concepts firstly before learning paleoclimatology. Otherwise, the students who study paleoclimatology will establish a confused concept after completing the course, that is, PALEOCLIMATE might be a "monster" that has no connection with the climate that we are experiencing at present. It is thus suggested that the first chapter and the second chapter coud be changed for their order. Or, at the beginning of the book, make it clear to students that climatology is the basis of studying paleoclimatology, and on the other side, once we recognize the paleoclimate, it will be of great help to understand the modern climate. 2. The third edition is a catalogue of methodology. Although this has the advantage of allowing students to understand the characteristics of various paleoclimate records and different research methods, there is a lack of comparison of common proxies among these records. For example, stable isotopes from lake sediments and tree rings or speleothems, they may have something in common? Students who are active in thoughts are bound to ask such questions. Therefore, as a textbook, the design of knowledge framework could think ahead of time to meet the curiosity of students stimulated by the textbook information itself. 3. As a textbook for graduate students, we should not only introduce them with basic professional knowledge and skills, but also inspire them to raise questions and promote scientific progress in the future. Therefore, it is our responsibility to tell them the uncertain problems and major theory problems in this discipline truthfully, and to let students know that earth science, including climate science especially paleoclimatology, in fact, few problems have been solved successfully. Therefore, it is suggested that a “question chapter” should be added for students to discuss and explore. I hope that the above is useful for the new edition.