PALEOCLIMATE MODELING INCLUDES the development and application of numerical climate models to simulate climates through Earths 4.6 billion-year history. Paleoclimate modeling is a theoretical branch of the natural science fields of paleoclimatology and paleoceanography, which seek to document and understand Earth's climate and ocean history. A fundamental goal of paleoclimate modeling is to determine the causes of past global climate change as a guide to modern and future climate change.

Numerical climate models are mathematical expressions of the theoretical laws and physical processes that govern the climate system, approximated and written in computer code for efficient computation. Climate models can vary tremendously in their complexity, capability, domain, and spatial resolution. Climate models used for paleo-applications range from relatively simple one-dimensional models that are based on the ...