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.
![](http://www.ei.lehigh.edu/learners/cc/paleoclimatology/drought.jpg)
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.