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Paleoclimate

Paleoclimatologists study environmental evidence to understand what the Earth’s past climate was like and why. They use proxy climate records to estimate past conditions and extend our understanding of climate that existed long ago.

What Is a Paleoclimate?

Fossilized leaves
Paleoclimate

According to the AMS Glossary of Meteorology, a paleoclimate is the “climate for periods prior to the development of measuring instruments, including historic and geologic time, for which only proxy climate records are available.” Examples of proxy climate records include historical documents and data preserved within corals, pollen grains, ice cores, tree rings, and ocean and lake sediments. 

Data, Maps, and Tools

View U.S. paleoclimate data from 14002017, showing how many summers (June–August) each region has been in drought. 

Drought From 1400–2017

Number of Summers in Drought
Range Map Hex Color
20 - 41 #faf3ce
41 - 62 #faea96
62 - 83 #ffe971
83 - 104 #f9c555
104 - 125 #f3a43f
125 - 146 #a9512a
146 - 167 #501011

Paleoclimatology and Historical Drought

Megadroughts

Tree-ring and lake-sediment records indicate that "megadroughts" have occurred in North America over the last thousand years. According to those proxy records, it appears that those persistent droughts lasted longer than droughts experienced since we’ve had instrumental records.

Variability

Earth’s climate is variable and always changing. For example, during the past two million years much of the northern hemisphere has been covered in glacial ice with sea levels lower by as much as 410 feet during glacial periods. In contrast, the Cretaceous Period (between 145.5 and 65.5 million years ago) saw conditions that were significantly warmer than today, with less polar ice and rising sea levels.

Research & Learn | Historical Drought

Drought is a normal climate pattern that has occurred in varying degrees of length, severity, and size throughout history. Learn more about historical drought.

Data & Maps | Historical Data and Conditions

View a collection of historical drought conditions for the U.S., including statistics, map and data archives, and time series. Explore three historical drought datasets side by side on an interactive map.


 

Paleoclimatology Research and Resources