Climate modes of the phanerozoic : the history of the earth's climate over the past 600 million years

The changes in the Earth's climate over the past 600 million years, from the Cambrian to the Quaternary, come under scrutiny in this book, first published in 1992. The geological evidence for ancient climates is examined, such as the distribution of climate-sensitive sediments. The Earth's climate has changed many times throughout the Phanerozoic. Thus in this book the climate history has been divided into Warm and Cool modes, intervals when either the Earth was in a former 'greenhouse' state with higher levels of atmospheric CO2 and polar regions free of ice, or the global climate was cooler and ice was present in high latitudes. The studies presented here highlight the complex interactions between the carbon cycle, continental distribution, tectonics, sea level variation, ocean circulation and temperature change as well as other parameters. In particular, the potential of the carbon isotope records as an important signal of the past climates of the Earth is explored. This book will be useful to all students and researchers with an interest in palaeoclimates and palaeoenvironments. This book views the Earth's climate as a global system, by describing the evolution of climate throughout the past 600 million years, from the Cambrian to the Quaternary. Palaeoclimates are examined in terms of Cold and Warm modes--phases during which the Earth's climates were either relatively cool with ice forming in high latitudes or when high levels of CO2 led to "greenhouse" warmings and temperate floras and faunas inhabited polar regions. Evidence for climate changes, such as biological indicators, geochemical parameters, and the presence of ice, are compared between these modes. These studies have highlighted the crucial role of tectonics and continental distribution in governing ocean circulation, the distribution of sea ice, sea level changes and global temperature distribution. Orbital forcing and the carbon cycle are also shown as important influences, particularly on short term climatic variations. Preface; Introduction; The early Cambrian to late Ordovician Warm Mode; The late Ordovician to early Silurian Cool Mode; The late Silurian to early Carboniferous Warm Mode; The early Carboniferous to late Permian Cool Mode; The late Permian to middle Jurassic Warm Mode; The middle Jurassic to e arly Cretaceous Cool Mode; The late Cretaceous to early Tertiary Warm Mode; Th e Cenozoic Cool Mode: early Eocene - late Miocene; The Cenozoic Cool Mode: late Miocene - Holocene; Causes and Chronology of Climate Change; Bibliography; I ndex. The evolution of the Earth's climate throughout the past 600 million years is examined by assessing the information on the warm and cold states of the Earth's past climates. The studies in this 1992 book will help determine the major mechanisms of climate change on a geological time scale. There are many reasons for investigating the climatic history of the Earth.