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. |