This book provides a synthesis of the past decade of research into global changes that occured in the earth system in the past. It stands as a ten year milestone in the operation of the Past Global Changes (PAGES) Project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP).
The Societal Relevance for Past Global Change Research * The History of Atmospheric Trace Gases and Aerosols: Interactions between Climate and Biogeochemical Cycles * The History of Climate Dynamics * The History of Biogeochemical Cycles during the Late Quaternary * The Roles and Responses of Vegetation in the Climate System * The Earth System during the Last 1,000 Years * The Role of Human Activities in Past Environmental Change * Challenges of a Changing Earth: Past Perspectives, Future Concerns.