Climates of the Past: An Introduction to Paleoclimatology

Table of contents

• Title Page iv
• Preface ix
• Contents xi
• Part 1 - General Paleoclimatology 1
• 1 - Definition and Historical Development of Paleoclimatology 3
• 2 - The Present Climate, and Its Significance for Paleoclimatology 9
• 3 - The Reconstruction of Paleoclimates 19
• 4 - Evidence of Hot Climates 22
• 5 - Evidence of Cold Climates 37
• 6 - Evidence of Arid Climates 63
• 7 - Evidence of Humid Climates 70
• 8 - Atmospheric Pressure Distribution and Thunderstorms 73
• 9 - Seasonal and Long-Term Climatic Variations 83
• 10 Mathematical Investigation of Past Climates 97
• 11 - Physical Methods of Determining Paleotemperatures 99
• 12 - Paleoclimatology and Economic Deposits 103
• Part 2 - Historical Paleoclimatology Development of Climate Throughout the Earth's History 105
• 13 - Introduction and Precambrian 107
• 14 - The Eo-Cambrian Glaciations 113
• 15 - The Older Paleozoic 123
• 16 - Younger Paleozoic, and the Permo­ Carboniferous Glaciation 131
• 17 - Mesozoic 153
• 18 - Tertiary 164
• 19 - Quaternary 181
• 20 - The Earth's Climatic History 210
• 21 - Climate and Organic Evolution 218
• Part 3 - Genetic Paleoclimatology Climatic Hypotheses 221
• 22 - Introduction 223
• 23 - Relief Hypotheses 225
• 24 - Other Terrestrial Causes of Climatic Variation 235
• 25 - Polar Wandering, Continental Drift, and Paleomagnetism 244
• 26 - Orbital Variations (radiation Curves) 249
• 27 - Extra-Terrestrial Hypotheses 257
• 28 - Attempted Synthesis 261
• 29 - Future Climatic Development: a Prospect 263
• Bibliography 265
• Table for Conversion of °fahrenheit to °celsius (centigrade) 301
• Author Index 303
• Place and Subject Index 315

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