paleoclimatology

American  

[pey-lee-oh-klahy-muh-tol-uh-jee, pal-ee-] / ˌpeɪ li oʊˌklaɪ məˈtɒl ə dʒi, ˌpæl i- /

noun

1. the branch of paleogeography dealing with the study of paleoclimates.

---

paleoclimatology Scientific  

/ pā′lē-ō-klī′mə-tŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of climatic conditions, along with their causes and effects, in the geologic past. These conditions are reconstructed on the basis of evidence found in the geologic record, especially in the form of glacial deposits, fossils, sediments, and rock and ice cores. Because much of the geologic record studied in paleoclimatology predates humans, this research is valuable for weighing the relative influence of human and natural causes of global climate change. It also provides test situations for computerized climate modeling systems used to predict present-day climate changes.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• paleoclimatological
  adjective
• paleoclimatologic
  adjective
• paleoclimatologist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of paleoclimatology

First recorded in 1915–20; paleo- + climatology

Example Sentences

That is the conclusion of this new study, co-authored by Lam and recently published in the journal Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2021

The study, published in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology, looked at an extinct rudist clam and found that it had a growth ring on its shell for every day of the nine years it was alive.

From Fox News • Mar. 12, 2020