Climate of the past

Question 1

What can scientist do to find out what the climate was like years ago?

Answer 1

Ice cores Pollen Historical records Tree rings

Question 2

How can ice cores help us work out past climate?

Answer 2

Drill down deep into the ice. Melt ice- release the gases. See what gases were in the atmosphere then. More carbon dioxide= hotter climate.

Question 3

How can tree rings help us work out past climate?

Answer 3

Tree rings show the growth of the tree. Wide tree rings- good growing conditions for the tree (warm and wet). Narrow tree rings- bad growing conditions for the tree- too cold or too dry.

Question 4

How can pollen records help us work out past climate?

Answer 4

Dig into the ground to get a soil sample. See what pollen is in the soil. Pollen is from plants and plants grow in different climates. If you find pollen from plants that like it hot= the climate must have been hot. If you find pollen from plants that like it cold= the climate must have been cold.

Question 5

How can historical records help us work out past climate?

Answer 5

People paint pictures and write diaries (historical records). We can get information about the weather and climate from these paintings and diaries.