The chapter describes the basic terminology used in the book, the composition of the Earth system and the principles of climate dynamics. It details the main components of the Earth system (atmosphere, ocean, hydrosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and solid Earth) and processes relevant to understanding climate dynamics. The concepts of climate, climate variability and climate change are discussed in the context of Quaternary climate dynamics. The global cycles of energy, water and carbon and their importance for climate evolution and variability are presented. The chapter introduces the mechanisms behind different types of radiative forcing, climate feedbacks and climate sensitivity. The difference between equilibrium and transient climate responses to different climate forcings is specified. The frameworks of stability and instability are introduced and discussed in application to climate. The relationship between the stochasticity of the Earth system and the predictability of climate change is presented.

The chapter outlines the primary methods used in empirical paleoclimatology, beginning with an overview of key paleoclimate proxies (stable oxygen and carbon isotopes, atmospheric composition, ice-rafted debris, aeolian dust and pollen) and the past environmental conditions they help reconstruct. The applicability and potential limitations of different proxies are discussed. It then describes the main paleoclimate archives, such as marine sediments and ice cores, speleothems, tree rings and others, in relation to paleoclimate proxies. The main dating techniques used in Quaternary paleoclimatology, such as the radiocarbon method, paleomagnetism and orbital tuning, are briefly examined. Several important paleoclimatological stacked records are presented, such as the Lisiecki-Raymo benthic stack. Finally, the main applications of paleoclimate proxies for reconstructing paleoenvironments and understanding past climate change and data-model comparison are reviewed.

The Quaternary period, which began 2.58 million years ago and continues to the present day, is distinctive for its significant climate variability. Understanding the mechanisms of climate change during this period and the relationship between carbon dioxide levels and temperature is hugely important in improving our ability to develop models to predict future climate change. This book discusses the main methods of empirical climatology and the models used to address different aspects of Quaternary climate dynamics, offering a multidisciplinary view of past and future climate changes. It examines the proposed mechanisms of Quaternary climate variability, including glacial cycles and abrupt climate changes, and their relationship to the intrinsic instability of ocean circulation and ice sheets. Including a final chapter on the Anthropocene, it provides a comprehensive overview of Quaternary and modern climate dynamics for graduate students and researchers working in paleoclimatology and climate change science.

The chapter explores millennial-scale climate variability during glacial periods and abrupt climate changes known as Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events. It begins with a description of the classification of abrupt climate changes, detailing their timing, typical periodicities and manifestations in different paleoclimate proxies and geographical locations. Progress in modeling the Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events is reviewed, starting from the early attempts to model millennial-scale climate variability to recent results from comprehensive Earth system models. This is followed by a discussion of the current state of understanding of the mechanism of Dansgaard–Oeschger and Heinrich events. It is shown that both types of millennial-scale climate variability are likely to represent spontaneous, self-sustained oscillations in different components of the Earth system, although it is possible that some interactions between these types of variabilities could lead to synchronization.