The geologic record contains a rich and diverse history of climatic change. This module presents two case studies from Earth history and describes only a small sample of the recorded inventory of trends and events that can contribute to our understanding of Earth as a system—as a set of interacti... Show moreThe geologic record contains a rich and diverse history of climatic change. This module presents two case studies from Earth history and describes only a small sample of the recorded inventory of trends and events that can contribute to our understanding of Earth as a system—as a set of interacting processes that operate over a wide range of space and time scales. The first case study examines the contrasts between major episodes of warm, apparently ice-free climates and times of major glaciation. The second case study examines the rhythms within the most recent period of glacial climate. The primary driving forces and their time scales are very different in the two case studies, but each provides substantial insight into the sensitivity of Earth to change. In both cases, the primary forcing factor pertinent to each process is insufficient to cause the signal recorded in the geologic record, and, therefore, we must understand a host of other factors. Show less