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Evidence of Past Climates. Assessing Past Climates. Four key sources of information about past climates: 1) Tree Ring Data 2) Ice Core Records 3) Sediment Cores & Sedimentary Rocks 4) Fossils . Tree “cookie”. Tree Ring Data. Every year a tree creates a growth ring .
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Assessing Past Climates • Four key sources of information about past climates: • 1) Tree Ring Data • 2) Ice Core Records • 3) Sediment Cores & Sedimentary Rocks • 4) Fossils
Tree “cookie” Tree Ring Data • Every year a tree creates a growth ring • Wet and Moderate Temperatures • rapid growth ____________________ thick ring • Dry and Extreme Temperatures • slow growth ____________________ thin ring Tree core sample
Ice Core Data Ice Core Lab Drilling ice cores in Greenland Studying an Ice Core
Ice Core Data • Taken from polar and glacial ice • 800,000 year record in Antarctic ice! • Evidence: • 1) trapped air bubbles • 2) dust, pollen record • 3) Ice chemical composition
Sedimentary Rocks and Sediment Cores from Lakes and Oceans • Over1 million year record • Evidence: pollen, chemical • composition of shells
Fossil Record • Types and number • of fossil organisms • indicate environment • and climate at time • they were deposited