Glaciers provide iconic illustrations of past climate change, but records of glacier length fluctuations have not been used systematically to test the ability of models to reproduce past changes. One reason is that glacier length depends on several complex factors and so cannot be simply linked to the climate simulated by models. This is done here, and it is shown that the observed glacier length fluctuations are generally well within the range of the simulations.

We investigated the decadal variations of extreme droughts and floods in North China using a 17-site seasonal precipitation reconstruction from a unique historical archive. Then, the link of extreme droughts and floods with ENSO episodes and large volcanic eruptions was discussed. This study helps us understand whether the recent extreme events observed by instruments exceed the natural variability at a regional scale, which may be useful for adaptation to extremes and disasters in the future.

The mid-Cretaceous (ca. 121 to 94 Ma) was characterized by a generally warm climate punctuated by supra-regional to global phenomena of widespread ocean anoxia. In this work we present the first complete record of temperature and fertility variations through the mid-Cretaceous in the western Tethys based on calcareous nannofossils. The new record indicates that temperatures and fertility were rather fluctuating but mostly independently, and they were not systematically associated with anoxia.

Numerous proxy records from the northern North Atlantic suggest substantial climate variability including the occurrence of multi-decadal-to-centennial cold events during the Holocene. We analyzed two abrupt cold events in a Holocene simulation using a comprehensive climate model. It is shown that the events were ultimately triggered by prolonged phases of positive North Atlantic Oscillation causing changes in ocean circulation followed by severe cooling, freshening, and expansion of sea ice.

Tropical volcanic eruptions and variations in solar activity have been suggested to influence the strength of westerly winds across the North Atlantic. We use Greenland ice core records together with a climate model simulation, and find stronger westerly winds for five winters following tropical volcanic eruptions. We see a delayed response to solar activity of 5 years, and the response to solar minima corresponds well to the cooling pattern during the period known as the Little Ice Age.

Between 4200 and 4000 cal yr BP, paleoecological evidence suggests a megadrought occurred in the central Rocky Mountains and western Great Plains. Modern climate analogues were used to explore potential climate mechanisms responsible for the ecological changes. Analogues illustrate that warm and dry conditions persisted through the growing season as a result of anomalously higher-than-normal heights centred over the Great Plains which suppressed moisture transport to the region.

This paper presents a 260-year tree-ring-based PDSI reconstruction for the central Daxing'an Mountains, northeast China. A warm–wet pattern was identified for the Daxing'an Mountains in recent decades, while a warm–dry pattern was found for the Mongolian Plateau. Overall, the dry/wet variability of the Daxing'an Mountains and its relationship with the surrounding areas might be driven by Pacific and Atlantic Ocean oscillations.

Our study presents an analysis of a four-dimensional compilation of globally distributed carbon isotope time series that span 20 to 6 thousand years ago. We explore carbon cycle connections between the deep ocean, atmosphere, and land-based carbon storage on thousand-year time scales to provide useful constraints for global carbon cycle reconstructions. Additionally, these carbon isotope time series are suitable for comparison with deglacial simulations from isotope-enabled Earth system models.

We present two new palaeoclimatic records for the central Maya lowlands, adding valuable new insights to the impact of climate change on the development of Maya civilisation. Lake Tuspan's diatom record is indicative of precipitation changes at a local scale, while a beach ridge elevation record from the world's largest late Holocene beach ridge plain provides a regional picture.