Note: Intro -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Preface -- Contents -- About the Editors -- 1 The Climate System: Its Functioning and History -- Climate Change -- Definition of Climate -- Climate Changes in the Past -- Climate Mechanisms -- The Radiation Balance of the Earth -- The Greenhouse Effect -- The Water Cycle -- Sun-Related Variability -- Solar Cycles -- Long-Term Variations in the Movement of the Earth Around the Sun -- The Sun's Evolution -- Reconstruction of the History of Atmospheric Composition -- The Atmosphere -- The Main Features of Atmospheric Circulation -- Water Vapor, Clouds and Rainfall -- Reconstructing Changes in Precipitation -- Modes of Variability of the Atmosphere -- The Oceans -- Main Characteristics of the Oceans -- Oceanic Circulation -- Reconstructing Ocean Circulation in the Past -- El Niño, Interplay Between the Atmosphere and the Oceans -- The Terrestrial and Marine Biosphere -- The Geographical Distribution of the Biosphere -- The Role of the Biosphere -- Biosphere of the Past and Paleoclimates -- The Cryosphere -- The Role of the Cryosphere -- The Cryosphere in the Past and Paleoclimates -- The Lithosphere: Over Large Timescales -- The Climate System -- References -- 2 The Changing Face of the Earth Throughout the Ages -- Paleogeographic Reconstructions -- Continental Drift -- The Paleomagnetic Tool, Tests and Uncertainties -- The Topography of the Earth -- The Evidence from Flora -- The Evidence from Erosion Sediment -- Stable Isotope Paleoaltimetry -- Eustatic Variations and Ocean Gateways -- An Overview of the Changing Face of Earth Through the Ages -- Conclusion -- References -- 3 Introduction to Geochronology -- 4 Carbon-14 -- Principles of the Radiocarbon Method -- Discovery of the Method -- Principle of the 14C Dating Method -- Estimation of the Half-Life and the First 14C Dating -- Principle of the Method. , Validity of the Assumptions and Definition of a Reference Standard for the Atmosphere -- Calibration of the 14C Ages -- Methods and Results -- Examples of Precise Calibration of 14C Ages -- The Dating of the Eruption of Santorini -- The Bipolar Seesaw or the North-South Heat Transfer -- Apparent Ages -- Oceanic Environments: The Reservoir Ages -- Continental Environments: The Hard Water and Dead Carbon Effects -- The 14C Exchanges in the Carbon Reservoirs -- Examples of Simulation of Modern Oceanic Circulation -- Oceanic Paleocirculation -- Mineralization of Organic Matter in Soil -- Treatment of Samples and Calculations of 14C Ages -- Physical-Chemical Treatment -- Determination of a 14C Age -- Some Examples of Post-depositional Disturbances of the 14C Ages -- References -- 5 The 40K/40Ar and 40Ar/39Ar Methods -- Principles of the K-Ar Method -- Diagram of Radioactive Decay in 40K -- The Age Equation -- Operation of the Potassium-Argon Clock -- Datable Materials and Age Ranges -- The Unspiked K-Ar Method -- Selection and Preparation of the Samples -- Determining 40Ar* -- Example of a Calculation of Age -- The 40Ar/39Ar Method: General Principles -- The Age Equation -- Corrections for Atmospheric Argon and Interference of Mass -- The Age Spectra -- The Single Grain Method -- The Isochrones -- Selection and Preparation of Samples -- Mass-Spectrometric Analysis -- Calculation of Age -- Advantages and Limitations of the 40K/40Ar and 40Ar/39Ar Methods -- Application: Example of the Dating of the Laschamp Event -- References -- 6 Dating of Corals and Other Geological Samples via the Radioactive Disequilibrium of Uranium and Thorium Isotopes -- Abstract -- Methodology of 230Th/238U Dating -- Principle of 230Th/238U Dating -- Selecting a Coral for 230Th/238U Dating -- Chemical Procedure -- Physical Measurement by Mass Spectrometry. , Limitations of the Method -- The Nuclear Recoil Effect and the 'Open' Dating System -- The Open System: Empirical Model -- Estimating the Change in Sea Level from Tropical Corals -- Other Geological Samples Datable by the U/Th Method -- Conclusions -- References -- 7 Magnetostratigraphy: From a Million to a Thousand Years -- Establishing the Scale of Magnetic Polarities -- First Coupled Measurements: Magnetization of Volcanic Rocks-K/Ar Dating -- the McDougall and Tarling Scale and the Mankinen and Dalrymple Scale for the Plio-Pleistocene -- Magnetic Stratigraphy in Pliocene-Pleistocene Sedimentary Series -- Magnetic Anomalies at Sea and the Heirtzler Scale of Magnetic Polarities -- The Cande and Kent Polarity Scale -- Astronomical Calibration of the Polarity Scale -- Principle and Practice of Magnetostratigraphy -- A High-Quality Magnetostratigraphic Study: The Siwalik Sequences in Pakistan -- Geomagnetic Excursions and the Scale of Magnetic Instabilities (GITS) -- Discovery of Geomagnetic Excursions -- A Scale of Geomagnetic Instabilities? -- Magnetostratigraphy Based on Variations in the Intensity of the Geomagnetic Field -- Introduction -- A Correlation Between Sediment and Polar Ice -- Paleo-Oceanographic Implications of High-Resolution Magnetic-Assisted Stratigraphy -- Conclusions -- References -- 8 Dendrochronology -- A Bit of Botany and Ecology -- Crossdating -- Temporal and Spatial Extension -- Contribution of 14C to Calibration -- References -- 9 The Dating of Ice-Core Archives -- Ice-Air Age Difference -- Introduction -- Modeling the Densification of the Firn -- Application of the 15N and 40Ar Isotopes in the Bubbles -- Synchronization of Two Ice Cores -- The Counting of Annual Layers -- Identification of Dated Horizons -- Volcanic Horizons -- Dansgaard-Oeschger Events -- Variations in the Magnetic Field and in Solar Activity. , Orbital Tuning and Indicators of Local Insolation -- Flow Modeling -- Evaluation of Accumulation on the Surface -- Ice Flow Models -- The Limitations of Modeling -- The Inverse Method: A Collective Approach -- Conclusion -- References -- 10 Reconstructing the Physics and Circulation of the Atmosphere -- Interpretation of Records, Limitations and Uncertainties -- Uncertainties on the Temporal Scale -- Uncertainties Associated with Geochemical Indicators: The Specific Case of the Isotopic Composition of Precipitations -- Uncertainties Associated with Biological Indicators -- References -- 11 Air-Ice Interface: Polar Ice -- Melt Index and Borehole Temperatures -- Stable Isotopes of Water and Temperature -- Stable Isotopes of Air and Temperature -- Conclusions -- References -- 12 Air-Vegetation Interface: Pollen -- From the Production of Pollen to Sediment -- The Pollen Diagram -- Reconstruction of Climate -- References -- 13 Ground-Air Interface: The Loess Sequences, Markers of Atmospheric Circulation -- Abstract -- Overview of Loess -- Paleoclimate Indicators -- Sedimentological Indicators -- Biological Indicators -- Geophysical Indicators -- Geochemical Indicators -- Loess Chronology -- References -- 14 Air-Ground Interface: Reconstruction of Paleoclimates Using Speleothems -- Speleothems: Description, Distribution, Formation and Preservation -- Growth and Chronology of Speleothems -- Paleoclimate Reconstruction: A Qualitative Approach -- Paleoclimate Reconstruction: A Quantitative Approach -- Conclusion -- References -- 15 Air-Interface: δ18O Records of Past Meteoric Water Using Benthic Ostracods from Deep Lakes -- Introduction -- Existing Deep-Lake Oxygen-Isotope Records -- Hydro-Meteorological Effects -- The Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric Precipitation -- Catchment Effects -- Lake Water Balance Effects -- Transient Changes and Dynamic Effects. , Isotope Geochemistry of Benthic Freshwater Ostracods -- Vital Effects -- Water Temperature Effects -- The Fossil Ostracod Record -- Calibration Against the Instrumental Air Temperature Record -- The Record of δ18OP in Central Europe Over the Past 15,000 Years -- Late Glacial and Early Holocene Shallow-Water Temperatures -- Quantification of Hydrological Effects -- Conclusions -- Perspectives -- References -- 16 Vegetation-Atmosphere Interface: Tree Rings -- A Dendrochonological Approach -- Dendro-isotopic Analysis -- Isotopic Reconstruction of the Variations in Climate Parameters Over Time -- References -- 17 Air-Vegetation Interface: An Example of the Use of Historical Data on Grape Harvests -- Historical Series of Harvest Dates -- Reconstruction of Spring-Summer Temperatures Based on Grape Harvesting Dates -- Limitations of These Reconstructions: The Anthropic Effects -- References -- 18 Air-Ground Interface: Sediment Tracers in Tropical Lakes -- Intertropical Hydrological Variability in Africa -- Sahara, Kalahari and Arid Zones: Discontinuous Evidence of Hydrological Inversions -- (Sub)Equatorial Zone: Changes in the Activity and Position of the ITCZ -- Recent Anthropological Influence on Climate Archives: Both a Proof and a Tool to Assess the Impacts of Local and Regional Development -- References -- 19 Air-water Interface: Tropical Lake Diatoms and Isotope Hydrology Modeling -- Site Selection and Collection of Samples -- Reconstruction of Paleohydrological Conditions -- Quantification of the Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Lakes -- Hydro-Isotopic Modeling and Paleoclimatic Interpretation -- References -- 20 Air-Ice Interface: Tropical Glaciers -- Paleoclimate Markers -- Some Important Results from the Interpretation of Andean Isotopic Records -- References -- 21 Climate and the Evolution of the Ocean: The Paleoceanographic Data. , Introduction: The Development of Tools and Concepts.