Principles of Paleoclimatology

Thomas M. Cronin is an adjunct professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Systems Science at George Mason University in Virginia. He is also a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

1. Contemporary Issues in Climate Change: The Role of Paleoclimatology Models and Observations Paleoclimatology: The Time Dimension Early Thoughts and Contemporary Sources A Brief Outline of This Book 2. Principles of Paleoclimatology Introduction: A Multidisciplinary Approach in Paleoclimatology Defining the Principles of Paleoclimatology Causes of Climate Change: The Climate System "Time is of the essence" Strategies to Study Climate History The Development of an Annual-Resolution Deglacial Chronology Proxies of Climate The Evolution of Glacial-Age Climatology 3. Vital Effects: Biological Aspects of Paleoclimatology Biological Principles in Paleoclimatology A Conceptual Framework of Biology and Climate Change Scale in Paleoclimatology Real Biological Entities or Heuristic Constructs? Biological Concepts in Paleoclimatology Summary 4. Orbital Climate Change The Jia-Li Monument Early Development of Orbital Theory Support for Orbital Theory from Geochronology The Deep-Sea Record of Orbital Climate Change Fundamental Tenets of Modern Orbital Theory Geologic and Biotic Evidence for Orbital Climate Change Challenges to Orbital Theory Modeling Orbital Climate Change Closing Comments 5. Millennial-Scale Climate Change Dryas octopetala Early Evidence for Rapid Climate Change Ice and Millennial-Scale Climate Change The Younger Dryas and Other Rapid Climate Events During Deglaciation Heinrich Events and Dansgaard-Oeschger Cycles: Millennial-Scale Climate Change During Glacial Periods The Eemian: Climatic Variability During the Last Interglacial Period Summary 6. Holocene Centennial and Decadal Climatic Variability Polar Bears and Potatoes: Human History and Holocene Climate Classical Holocene Climate Chronology Early and Middle Holocene Climatic History Late Holocene Climate History Forcing Mechanisms of Centennial and Decadal Holocene Climate Concluding Remarks 7. Interannual Climate Change in the Tropics: ENSO La Corriente del Nino Interannual Paleoclimatology Aspects of Modern El Nino--Southern Oscillation Paleoclimate Records of Tropical Seasonal and Interannual Climate Goddard Institute of Space Studies General Circulation Model of Isotopic Response to Interannual Climate 8. Sea-Level Change By Land or by Sea? Early Concepts of Sea-Level Change Geological Geochemical, Geophysical, and BiologicalEvidence for Sea-Level Change Processes Affecting Sea-Level Change Cenozoic Sea Level: Tectono-eustasy Versus Glacio-eustasy Quaternary Sea-Level History Historical Sea-Level Change Summary 9. Paleo-Atmospheres: The Ice-Core Record of Climate Change Atmospheric Change: Human and Natural Factors The Ice-Core Record of Paleo-atmospheres and Climate Change "One Thousand Centuries:" The Camp Century Climate Record Climate Proxies from Ice Cores The Dating and Correlation of Ice Cores Glacial-Interglacial Climate Carbon Dioxide, and Methane Millennial-Scale Atmospheric Variability and Climate Change The "Flickering Switch" of Climate Mechanisms of Climate Change