News Release: How Can Paleoclimatology Tell Us About Drought?
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC):
“Drought is a unique climate event, which often begins with subtle effects but can end up being incredibly costly and devastating. Paleoclimatology, or the study of past climate prior to instrumental records, allows scientists not only to collect evidence of past climate conditions, such as drought, but also provides them with a means to investigate the climate processes underlying these conditions. Climate records from tree rings, lake and dune sediments, historical records, and archaeological remains—also called proxy data—have all provided information about past droughts in the United States.”
Read more from the NOAA NCDC news release