palaeotemperaturepaleotemperaturen.
/ˈpalɪə(ʊ)ˌtɛmprᵻtʃə/, /ˈpeɪlɪə(ʊ)ˌtɛmprᵻtʃə/, /ˌpalɪə(ʊ)ˈtɛmprᵻtʃə/, /ˌpeɪlɪə(ʊ)ˈtɛmprᵻtʃə/, U.S. /ˈˌpeɪlioʊˈtɛmpə(rə)tʃər/, /ˈˌpeɪlioʊˈtɛmp(ə)rəˌtʃʊ(ə)r/ Chiefly Geology. rare before mid 20th cent.
(A measure of) the average climatic temperature of a place at some time in the past.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > [noun] > prevailing weather or climate > in the geological past > average temperature in past
palaeotemperature1854
1854 A. Boué in Edinb. New Philos. Jrnl. 56 9 We have got very few notions on palæometeorology and palæotemperature or thermics.
1948 Science 5 Nov. 492/1 This particular application of the chemical differences in the processes of isotopes occurred to me a year and a half ago, and since that time my colleagues and I have been trying to solve the several difficult problems encountered in making such measurements of paleotemperatures.
1984 J. J. Lowe & M. J. C. Walker Reconstructing Quaternary Environments iii. 127 Palaeotemperature data from cave speleothems should provide considerably better resolution in time than those obtained from ocean sediments.
1993 New Scientist 13 Feb. 30/2 A method commonly used for determining palaeotemperatures..involves analysing calcium carbonate in rocks.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1854