Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
temperature and the Mesozoic temperature (the Age of the Dinosaurs) is about
15 K (15°C/27°F). The glacial-interglacial oscillation of climate is a relatively
recent feature of the climate system and is thought to have occurred only dur-
ing the Quaternary (the last 1.8 million years). The amplitude of this oscilla-
tion, that is, the difference in the global temperature between a glacial and an
interglacial climate, is less than 10 K (10°C/18°F).
It is clear from modern observations, historical records, and paleoclimate
reconstructions that the earth's climate changes on all time scales and that
these changes are of sufficient magnitude to influence life on the planet. All
these changes have a cause and an explanation, whether related to some exter-
nal forcing or to internal workings of the climate system, but they may not be
fully explained yet. The key to understanding climate variability—and climate
change—is to study the physics and dynamics of the climate system. We begin
that study in the next chapter with a consideration of the energy source of the
climate system—solar radiation.
3.6 ADDITIONAL READING
A number of excellent sources of information are maintained on the Web to
provide background as well as the latest observations of various modes of cli-
mate variability. Examples include the websites of NOAA's Climate Prediction
Center and NASA's Earth Observatory.
