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The GISP2 ice core record—Paleoclimate highlights
Author(s) -
Mayewski Paul A.,
Bender Michael
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/95rg00498
Subject(s) - paleoclimatology , ice core , climatology , climate system , geology , climate change , earth system science , earth science , cryosphere , physical geography , oceanography , geography , sea ice
Understanding the Earth system and, in particular, its climate, remains one of the major intellectual challenges faced by science. The processes influencing climate, the mechanisms through which they act, and the responses they generate are, in general, as complex and poorly understood as they are important. Because observational records of climate processes span only the most recent years of Earth's history and, in many instances, are known to be markedly affected by anthropogenic influences, paleorecords of past climates are exceedingly important to the development of scientific understanding of local, regional, and global climate systems. Of the various paleorecords available to science, ice cores from polar ice sheets provide the most direct and highest resolution view of the paleoatmosphere.