Final answer:
Continental records are fragmented and discontinuous, making it challenging to understand past climate patterns. Glacial cycles and Antarctic ice cores provide valuable information for studying climate change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Continental records refer to the historical climate data collected from various continents around the world. These records are often fragmented and discontinuous, meaning that there are gaps or missing parts in the climate record. This can make it challenging for scientists to piece together a complete and accurate picture of past climate patterns and changes.
For example, glacial cycles in the past resulted in the formation of large ice sheets that covered much of the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of continents. As these ice sheets retreated, they left behind fragmented records of climate change in the form of sediments and ice cores. By studying these records, scientists can gain insights into the temperature and precipitation patterns of the past.
Antarctic ice cores are particularly valuable for studying climate change. They contain trapped air bubbles and other biological evidence that provide data on temperature and carbon dioxide levels over hundreds of thousands of years. Analyzing these ice cores has revealed periodic cycles of increasing and decreasing temperature.