Knowra Paleoclimate proxy Paleoclimate proxy A preserved physical, chemical, or biological measurement used to infer past climate conditions. Its value depends on a relationship between the measured feature and a climate variable.
Proxy calibration : The process of relating proxy measurements to climate variables using observations, experiments, or physical models. Calibration quantifies how strongly a proxy feature tracks the climate variable being reconstructed.
Paleoclimatology : The study of Earth's climates before instrumental measurements began. Paleoclimate proxies supply much of the evidence used in this field.
Ice core : A cylinder of ice drilled from a glacier or ice sheet, preserving layered environmental records. Ice cores preserve gases, isotopes, and particles that reveal past atmospheric and climate conditions.
Instrumental temperature record : A record of temperature measurements made by thermometers and other instruments. Instrumental observations directly measure climate, whereas proxies infer it from preserved signals.
Stable isotope analysis : A method that measures the relative abundance of stable isotopes in a sample. Isotope ratios in many archives vary with temperature, precipitation, or moisture source.
Climate archive : A natural or human-made record that preserves information about past environmental conditions. Archives such as ice, sediment, and tree rings preserve proxy evidence.
Dendroclimatology : The reconstruction of past climate from variations in annual tree-ring characteristics. Ring width and density can record growing-season temperature or moisture.
Historical climatology : The study of past climate using written records and other documentary evidence. Documentary evidence complements proxies, especially for periods with human records.
Transfer function (paleoclimatology) : A statistical relationship that converts proxy measurements into estimates of past environmental conditions. Transfer functions turn measured biological or chemical changes into quantitative climate estimates.
Chronology (geology) : The ordering and dating of geological events and materials. A proxy record needs a reliable age model before its climate changes can be timed.
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