Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 19 November 1999:
Vol. 286. no. 5444, pp. 1485 - 1487
DOI: 10.1126/science.286.5444.1485
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Perspectives

PALEOCLIMATE:
Mid-Holocene Climate Change

Eric J. Steig

The climate change in our current interglacial period, the Holocene, is relatively muted compared to the larger-scale, rapid climate oscillations during the preceding glacial period. Paleoclimatologists are now using their techniques to characterize climate change in the mid-Holocene, around 5000 to 7000 years ago. At this time, land air temperatures declined, atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns changed, and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increased. The data help understand Earth's climate system, but parallels to today's climate change should be drawn with caution.

The author is in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. E-mail: esteig{at}sas.upenn.edu

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
The influence of changes in orbital parameters over South American climate using the CPTEC AGCM: simulation of climate during the mid Holocene.
M. Luciene Dias de Melo and J. A. Marengo (2008)
The Holocene 18, 501-516
   Abstract »    PDF »
Implications of a 14 200 year contiguous fire record for understanding human--climate relationships at Goochs Swamp, New South Wales, Australia.
M.P. Black, S.D. Mooney, and V. Attenbrow (2008)
The Holocene 18, 437-447
   Abstract »    PDF »
Holocene climatic and environmental changes in the arid and semi-arid areas of China: a review.
Z. D. Feng, Z.-D. Feng, C. B. An, and H. B. Wang (2006)
The Holocene 16, 119-130
   Abstract »    PDF »
Holocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in norteastern Brazi inferred from polen,, charcoal and carboon isotope records.
L. C.R. Pessenda, M. P. Ledru, S. E.MN. Gouveia,, R. Aravena, A. S. Ribeiro, J. A. Bendashsollil, and R. Boulet (2005)
The Holocene 15, 812-820
   Abstract »    PDF »
Holocene records of effective precipitation in West Greenland.
S. McGowan, S. M. Gowan, D. B. Ryves, and N. J. Anderson (2003)
The Holocene 13, 239-249
   Abstract »    PDF »
Late glacial-Holocene atmospheric circulation and precipitation in the northeast United States inferred from modern calibrated stable oxygen and carbon isotopes.
M. E. Kirby, H. T. Mullins, W. P. Patterson, and A. W. Burnett (2002)
GSA Bulletin 114, 1326-1340
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Widespread evidence of 1500 yr climate variability in North America during the past 14 000 yr.
(2002)
Geology 30, 455-458
Coherent High- and Low-Latitude Climate Variability During the Holocene Warm Period.
P. deMenocal, J. Ortiz, T. Guilderson, and M. Sarnthein (2000)
Science 288, 2198-2202
   Abstract »    Full Text »


ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)