HISTORY OF ARIZONA CLIMATE
Owen Davis
Professor of Geosciences
IGERT Archaeology Summer Institute for EducatorsJune 14, 2005
HISTORY OF ARIZONA CLIMATE
Owen Davis
IGERT Archaeology Summer Institute for Educators |
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BACKGROUND:Last 4.5 billion years, fluctuations & colder WHY?
 What have been the effects of climate change? | |
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 Last 2-3 million years, Pleistocene Ice Age WHY? First humans (genus Homo) in Africa ~ 2.5 Ma |
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 Last 1 million years, fluctuations with growing amplitude WHY?  Two extremes icehouse Earth and greenhouse Earth |
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 Current interglacial (last 10,000 years) warmest 6,000 years ago in Arizona, but varies regionally WHY?  Megafaunal extinction and rise of civilization |
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 Late Holocene and historic climate change WHY?  Climate has dramatically influenced people, now people influence climate |
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How do we know climate has changed?
Last Updated June 14, 2005 OKD |
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