Paleoclimatology data are derived from natural sources such as tree rings, ice cores, corals, and ocean and lake sediments. These proxy climate data extend the archive of weather and climate information hundreds to millions of years. The data include geophysical or biological measurement time series and some reconstructed climate variables such as temperature and precipitation.
NCEI provides the paleoclimatology data and information scientists need to understand natural climate variability and future climate change. We also operate the World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, which archives and distributes data contributed by scientists around the world.