NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service National Climatic Data Center, U.S. Department of Commerce
NOAA Paleoclimatology Program, NCDC Paleoclimatology Branch  
Paleoclimatology Navigation Bar Bookmark and Share
NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA National Climatic Data Center U.S. Department of Commerce Paleo Home Data Paleo Projects Paleo Perspectives Education and Outreach About Paleo Program Site Map
Data Access Tutorial Glossary About CTL CTL Site Map
CTL Overview white space
Today white space
1 Year white space
10 Years white space
100 Years white space
1,000 Years white space
10,000 Years white space
100,000 Years white space
Beyond
Search:


white space
    An Overview of Climate Processes

The various climate processes at different time scales interact with each other, resulting in a climate system rich in complexity. The figure below shows changes in Earth's climate at tectonic scales (over the past 300 million years,) orbital scales (over the past 3 million years,) glacial and millennial scales (over the past 50,000 years,) and centennial scales (the past 1000 years.) Note that minor changes in climate at shorter time scales are magnified from larger changes at longer time scales. Also note that the range of variability is less in the shorter time scales.
Also see Future Forecasts and What is Variability.

Global temperatures over varying time scales
Image from Ruddiman, 2001 used by permission of W. H. Freeman & Co.


Dividing Line
Privacy Policy information User Survey link First Gov logo Disclaimer information
Dividing Line
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/about7.html
Downloaded Friday, 24-May-2013 22:07:15 EDT
Last Updated Wednesday, 20-Aug-2008 11:22:39 EDT by paleo@noaa.gov
Please see the Paleoclimatology Contact Page or the NCDC Contact Page if you have questions or comments.