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Abstract
In the last year or two there has been a remarkable increase in the interest, both popular and scientific, in the subject of climatic change. This stems from a recognition that even a highly technological society is vulnerable to the effects of climatic fluctuations and indeed may become more so, as margins of surplus food production are reduced, and nations become more interdependent for their food supply. In this respect our concern is with quite small changes - a degree (Celsius) or less in temperature and 10 % or so in rainfall. Probably we may discount some of the more alarmist suggestions of an imminent and rapid change towards near glacial conditions as these are based on very sketchy evidence. However, whatever the time-scale of climatic fluctuations with which we are concerned, we may hope to learn a great deal which is relevant to the factors which will control our future climate from the study of its more extreme vagaries in the past. Information relevant to the weather in such extreme periods is coming forward in increasing detail and volume from a wide range of disciplines. The variety of the evidence, its lack of precision as a strict measure of climate, and the number of different sources all make it difficult for an individual to build up a clear picture of past climates. However such a picture is needed, if explanations and interpretation are to be possible. Ideally one would need a synchronous picture of the climate of the whole world at selected epochs in the past. Various international programmes are directed to forming such pictures.
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