The climate of the Earth -- that is, the long-term patterns of temperature, precipitation, winds, and atmospheric and oceanic composition -- has evolved over time and left traces in the rocks, soils, and fossils that formed in contact with the changing environment. Geologists, geobiologists, and geochemists can therefore study the climate of the Earth and its history over billions of years through examination of preserved rocks and fossils and the molecular record carried by living organisms.
