This review has been written to complement other recent reviews focused on the use of the paleo-record for understanding present and future climate system dynamics [ Crowley and North, 1991; Bradley and Jones, 1992; Diaz and Markgraf, 1992; Eddy and Oeschger, 1993a; Wright et al., 1993; see also other contributions to the US National Report to the IUGG]. Emphasis is on climate dynamics, but includes reference to ocean, ice and biosphere dynamics. The unifying theme is the key multifaceted role that the paleosciences play in understanding climate system dynamics. Because future climate forcing and global boundary conditions are likely to be distinct from those of the past, past climatic conditions are no longer thought of, or used, as analogs for possible future conditions [ Crowley, 1990; T. Webb et al., 1993]. Instead, the long and multivariate record of paleoenvironmental change is used to:
This paper will highlight these roles with a review of recent important advances in the field of paleoclimatology. This review will also be coupled with an analysis of what lies ahead for the field as it works to reduce the uncertainty associated with assessing future environmental change.