Why study paleoclimatology?
The paleoclimate records show that the Earth’s climate has always been changing. Scientists want to know if contemporary (present day) climate changes are natural or unprecedented.
Climatic variability can have a large impact on humans. For example, a change in climate can bring on severe droughts, floods, or storms.
Paleoclimatology has shown that the Earth can dramatically shift between climatic states in a matter of years or decades. A dramatic shift could mean the beginning of another Ice Age.