WLADIMIR KÖPPEN AND ALFRED WEGENER’S KLIMATE DER GEOLOGISCHEN VORZEIT AS THE FOUNDATION OF PALEOCLIMATOLOGY

Wladimir Köppen and Alfred Wegener’s book Klimate Der Geologischen Vorzeit [Climates of the Geologic Past], published in 1924, can be regarded as the foundation of the geologic discipline of paleoclimatology. Starting with a discussion of climatic indicators (e.g., glaciogenic features; coal; gypsum, salt deposits, desert sandstone; löss; soil coloration; fossil flora and fauna; coral reefs), these indicators were plotted on the present-day continents for different time intervals. Fitting present-day continents together into Pangaea, sequential paleogeographic maps displaying the distribution of reconstructed climate belts were produced for the Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene; each map and time step showing the displacement of continental fragments with time starting with the breakup of Pangaea. Following uniformitarian principles and modern distribution of climate belts (following Köppen’s climate classification system), latitudes were recreated and plotted on these maps (e.g., equator; 30°N/S; 60°N/S; South and North pole). A second significant idea associated with the book was the incorporation and application of the work of Milutin Milankovic on determining orbital variations of insolation. On the behest of Köppen, Milankovic calculated summer radiation curves for latitudes 55/60/65°N over the last 650,000 a. The radiation curves were published as the final table in the book and was used to discuss Quaternary climate change and to provide an explanation to geologically determined cold and warm phases during the Quaternary ice age.