Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates using evidence found in tree rings, ice cores, sediment layers, and other geological and biological records. This field is critical for understanding the natural variability of Earth’s climate, the causes of past climate changes, and their impacts on the environment and human societies.
Reference: Bradley, R. S. (1999). “Paleoclimatology: Reconstructing Climates of the Quaternary.” Academic Press.