Paleoclimatology is the study of ancient
climates. a region's present day or ancient
climate is determined by taking several factors
into account, including characteristics of the
region's atmosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere, and biosphere. since direct
observations of ancient climates are not
available before the 19th century,
paleoclimatologists rely remnants of evidence.
such as sediments found in lake beds, ice
cores, and tree rings. this information is then
used to create mathematical climate models.
why do you think it's important for scientists to
study earth's past climates? what information
are scientists likely to gain from investigating
the earth's past? since the data obtained by
paleoclimatologists is not based on direct
observations, can their discoveries and
models be trusted? why or why not?