Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Paleoclimate: Climate Change Patterns

In course

ENV-410: Science of climate change

The course equips students with a comprehensive scientific understanding of climate change covering a wide range of topics from physical principles, historical climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, the IPCC assessment to future scenarios and climate ac ...

Description

This lecture delves into the study of paleoclimate, exploring topics such as ice cores, carbon isotopes, and temperature reconstructions over millions of years. It discusses the impact of Earth's orbit on climate patterns and the role of greenhouse gases in glacials and interglacials.

Instructor

Julia Schmale

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Ice age

An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and greenhouse periods, during which there are no glaciers on the planet. Earth is currently in the ice age called Quaternary glaciation. Individual pulses of cold climate within an ice age are termed glacial periods (or, alternatively, glacials, glaciations, glacial stages, stadials, stades, or colloquially, ice ages), and intermittent warm periods within an ice age are called interglacials or interstadials.

Glacial period

A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate between glacial periods. The Last Glacial Period ended about 15,000 years ago. The Holocene is the current interglacial. A time with no glaciers on Earth is considered a greenhouse climate state.

Climate change

In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to Earth's climate. The current rise in global average temperature is more rapid than previous changes, and is primarily caused by humans burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use, deforestation, and some agricultural and industrial practices increase greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide and methane.

Last Glacial Period

The Last Glacial Period (LGP), also known colloquially as the Last Ice Age or simply Ice Age, occurred from the end of the Eemian to the end of the Younger Dryas, encompassing the period 115,000-11,700 years ago. The LGP is part of a larger sequence of glacial and interglacial periods known as the Quaternary glaciation which started around 2,588,000 years ago and is ongoing. The definition of the Quaternary as beginning 2.58 million years ago (Mya) is based on the formation of the Arctic ice cap.

Last Glacial Maximum

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), also referred to as the Last Glacial Coldest Period, was the most recent time during the Last Glacial Period that ice sheets were at their greatest extent 26 ka - 20 ka ago. Ice sheets covered much of Northern North America, Northern Europe, and Asia and profoundly affected Earth's climate by causing a major expansion of deserts, along with a large drop in sea levels.

Related lectures (54)

Radiative Forcing & Climate Sensitivity

Explores radiative forcing, climate sensitivity, and feedback mechanisms in climate change, emphasizing the role of various components like CO2 and methane.

Greenhouse Effect: Understanding Climate Sensitivity

Explores the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, climate sensitivity, and the Earth's energy balance.

Paleoclimate, Climate Variability, Paris Agreement

Delves into paleoclimate, climate variability, and international climate agreements.

Extreme Events and Climate Change

Explores extreme events, climate change impact, observed temperature changes, and Arctic and Antarctic amplification.

Global Warming: COP27 Recap